Update on Krispy Kreme challenge: Finished in 45 minutes 30 something seconds. All 12 doughnuts down. None lost. 6 miles at Shelley Lake in the amazing weather this past weekend. Looking forward to the warm weather this weekend.
My apologies for the delay between posts.
TROSA
If you've lived in the Triangle area even for a short while you've probably heard of TROSA. No doubt a neighbor or friend recommended them as a moving company or as someone to take care of your lawn. I knew that they helped people recover from drugs and alcohol through their program but I knew little else before driving through the front gates and walking into their offices.
We sat in a huge conference room and watched a short film TROSA made a few years back to make its case to the public. The people in the video were honest about where they'd been and incredibly grateful for TROSA helping them to their present place. This was shaping up to be just like many of our other visits: video, spiel from the executive, questions and answers and then lunch. What we received was much different.
After hearing from Kevin McDonald, the president and CEO of TROSA, about the beginnings of the program we then heard from current program participants and graduates. This is where the day continued its track of challenging testimonials and eye-opening experiences.
I won't go into detail about the people we heard from over the course of the day. The details of each story--the drugs, the abuse, the pain, the recovery--were similar from one person to the next while still incredibly personal. What was truly revelatory was the fact that we heard from each person we met as we walked around the grounds and through the buildings. Every room interrupted their work to stand and introduce themselves; introductions which included their drug of choice, their road to recovery and their current role in the two year TROSA program. At the end of our time I think we heard from around 35 people. Suffice it to say that I was mentally and emotionally drained by the time I got back in my car to head to the Williams Square apartments to hear from Housing for New Hope.
It's hard for me to write any more about TROSA. I could never begin to tell the stories I heard with any semblance of the original emotion and strength. The honesty, candor and openness were incredibly refreshing even if the words were hard to hear at times. One member of our group talked about the emotional impact in a question towards the end of lunch. She was the only person to acknowledge the preponderance of quiet tears and wet eyes dabbed with tissues we all though no one would notice. As we prepared to leave I felt as though I was the damaged and broken person, afraid to cry in the presence of my peers, afraid to show any real emotion. As I headed to Williams Square I thought seriously about skipping the rest of the day and heading home. I wasn't worried about what we might see and hear from Housing for New Hope. I was terrified of what else I might see in myself.
Thankfully (or not, depending on your point of view) our visit to the Williams Square apartments ended our day on a for-the-most-part uplifting note. The efficiency apartments serve disabled persons who were previously homeless and now have permanent, supportive housing which allows them to move forward with momentum as they work to improve their circumstances. They pay rent. They have a door, and it locks. They have a home, many for the first time in years. Another story of success in the Bull City as selfless people work to provide services for those who need them most.
While the day was incredibly draining it was also incredibly uplifting. While it was difficult to hear the stories and to meet the people who are often ignored, it was equally as exciting to meet the people who choose to help, who choose to put everything on the line for others. In the weeks and months to come I hope to find where I fit in that puzzle, where I can give back. Running in 5Ks and half marathons don't count. I may not have a lot of money but I have two hands and two feet and a body capable of doing a hard days' work. Now I just have to figure out where to go first.
Ryan
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