Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/making-a-place-for-nona-meeting-the-needs-of-homeless-children/5009535/
Nona, who was five years old on the day that I met her, talked to me about how she had spent her day. Sitting on my lap in our shelter for homeless women and children, she recounted a series of visits to offices, one after another, so many that she couldn't quite recall them all or why she had even visited them. In the middle of our talk, someone walked by commenting on the date. Nona immediately stopped talking and asked me with great intensity, "Is tomorrow my birthday?" After clarifying the date, I confirmed that indeed tomorrow was her birthday. Nona looked me square in the heart, asking, "What will happen then?" "What happens on your birthday when you live here?" Before I could gather my thoughts to respond, she looked away, asking, "What ever happens here?"We never know for sure what awaits us when we open for business every day. We take comfort from the skills we have gained in training and the years of experience we have amassed. Most of all, we open our doors each day with the belief that we can manage both the joys and the ...