I sat across the table from my Veteran buddy playing cribbage, and I watched his white pegs advance quite a bit faster than my red ones. This was not the greatest news, but the conversation was!
We spoke about the program and he told me (again) just how much he appreciated all we do at Innercity Veterans Outreach & Support. He finds it very supportive and helpful and loves to be a part of our community.
Of course, others in the room were visiting and chatting and right behind me was a Veteran having a great visit with a volunteer. I noted this to my cribbage buddy, and he responded, “That guy lives at Veterans House and honestly, he has spoken more in the last ten minutes than all I have heard him speak in four months! That’s what this program is, it’s hard to describe but this is exactly what we need.”
I lost the game. We played another and overheard some guffaw laughter from the table across the room. It was BB. “Sounds like he’s having a good time,” I mentioned. My cribbage partner said, “Yea, and you know he’s dying.” “Dying like we’re all dying?” I asked. “No, he’s dying. He doesn’t have that much time left. He has managed to keep a positive attitude and his laughter is great to hear.”
You never know what’s going on in other people’s lives. These insights really encouraged me to keep on doing good, through OIM, our volunteers and guests. It’s so much more than a program – it’s family. And it’s beautiful!
Ken MacLaren, Executive Director
