I arrive at work before almost all of the public activities start here. Already some staff are making the rounds to be sure appropriate activity is happening across the campus.
But where I park and in my office area, no other staff are usually around yet. Still, the men of Helping Up Mission are everywhere doing their daily responsibilities.
We call it Work Therapy Assignments (WTAs) because it is work…because we believe it is therapeutic…and because it is their assigned duty as a member of the HUM family!
So, in the AM I regularly see Mason along the perimeter of the campus cleaning up trash. Where I park, a couple mornings each week, Bruce is breaking up cardboard boxes and putting them in the recycle bin.
Inside my office building I always see Jamar sweeping or mopping all the stairways. Either Johnny or his fellow-client supervisor Edwin are on my floor taking care of trash, floors and bathrooms.
There’s no staff in sight and it’s still early in the day, but the men of Helping Up Mission are up and at it and getting things done!
One of the most wonderful things about my job is the fact that I get to see first-hand every day how drug addicts and alcoholics can stop using, get focused, work together and really do some good things.
WTA at HUM isn’t an end in itself – its just the beginning of a guy getting back to accomplishing things again and being a productive member of our community.
I love my job because I never get tired or seeing Jesus changing guy’s lives!
One Guy at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director