This Week God Brought Us: Ron

”Ron”, who was referred by a long-time partner at Spokane County Community Services.  They don’t call often, so when they do, we hustle to respond. They are working with Ron to get him moved into housing in Spokane Valley. Ron’s Chevy Suburban had run out of gas at the apartment building he’s moving to. We’ve seen Ron a handful of times over the past five years, always for small amounts of gas help. Ron brings a history of incarceration and ticks many of the other boxes in our common intake:  history of substance use, becoming a parent at 17, violence in his childhood home, violent crime later in life, and more. Ron was excited about moving in to stable housing after years spent homeless, most recently in the Suburban. He could not have been more gracious and articulate when we met at the gas station to get enough gas into his car so that he could finish his move-in and also meet obligations for court dates.

Ron is a perfect example of our flexible ability to collaborate quickly with community partners. He may be receiving the lion’s share of services from other providers, but when small obstacles arise, those same partners know to turn to us for flexible resources and a fast “yes.” Ron is a neighbor to all of us in Spokane since his childhood and God’s beloved son.  It is our privilege to know and serve him.