We’re big on stories here at LIFT so I want to share with you a message my Chief Finance and Administration Officer Alan Golding posted on his Facebook page. This is why he LIFTs for good:
Last week, I had the privilege of sitting in on a meeting with one of our members in Chicago. Mr H was a barber who had been cutting hair for over 20 years. “In the winter everybody be wearing hats, so not too many folks be needing haircuts”. Mr H was struggling to make ends meet and had found himself living on the street. Days before coming to LIFT, while sleeping on a train to get away from the brutal Chicago winter, he had been robbed and all of his personal belongings had been stolen.
During the intake meeting, one of the questions we ask is whether members feel that they need the help of a support group. Mr H said he would take the details, but not because he needed help: “I’m a pretty strong person. I’m ok. But maybe I can help someone else if I’m there.” Mr H had come to us for help with the big challenges he was facing: no place to sleep, no healthcare and an unreliable job. And yet despite these challenges, his thoughts quickly moved to how he could help others in need.
Because of people like Mr H, this is why I LIFT #LIFTCommunities #everybodyneedsanadvocate