Harold first encountered Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky when he worked as an advocate and handed out coats to the homeless at the shelter. Volunteers from a local church offered to help him and he accidentally gave away their coats. Instead of getting upset the church volunteers responded with grace and said that they understood that it was an easy mistake to make.
Since the homeless population of Covington is a miniature community and they all know each other, the guests staying at the shelter were able to identify the individuals who received the coats and retrieved them for the volunteers. Harold said,
“People need someone to look out for them and it does not really matter what way you do it.”
After this moment Harold started to see ESNKY’s workers and guests as his family. It is easy to observe his love for the guests through his open and warm interactions with them. He loves to help people out because people looked out for him in the past and he feels that it allows him to pay back all the good that people brought his way.
Harold decided to do the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission Senior job program at ESNKY and when the program ended the managers insisted that he stay on as an employee because of all the hard work he accomplished. That was 8 years ago, and he has not looked back since. On paper, he is in charge of building maintenance and helps with intake, but his title flows because he is willing to fill any gaps that pop up in the system. He loves his job because he likes to stay busy and leads an active lifestyle. It is rare to see him without his headphones humming along to the music as he works.
When asked what the hardest part of his job is he replied,
“This might sound kind of corny, but the hardest part is convincing the volunteers that we appreciate when they come in to help, sometimes they don’t understand just how much their small jobs help people.”
He said seeing the need for the less fortunate has helped him grow.
“I’m an older guy but I’ve never reached the age where seeing people in the positions they are in out here will not affect you.”
He says that he has been affected positively by working here and allowed him to appreciate his ability to spend his free time visiting friends and working in the yard.
By:
Emily Broyles
2021 Scripps Howard Communication Intern