A story came out a couple of days ago about a custodian who was found living in a room at the school he worked at for many years. He did not steal anything. He did not hurt anyone. He was not selling drugs or anything crazy. He was just trying to survive.
The article was brief, things were still being discussed and of course, the comments were a nightmare. Disrespect, lack of empathy and an example of the worst of who we can be. We did not see any efforts to help this man, so we decided to bring together anyone who cared and wanted to help.
We spoke to the custodian. His name is Tim. He has kids, family and friends just like the rest of us. Please try not to let social media or headlines desensitize you. Respectfully, we are talking about a human being.
He understands that he was not supposed to do what he did. He landed on tough times and made some bad decisions. We have all made bad decisions in my life, all that matters is how we move forward.
He is frustrated with the media coverage and narratives because it doesn't really capture who he is. Sound bites and quick reporting don't allow much room for understanding. He has 4 incredible kids. He's worked for the school district for more than 17 years. He's stayed late to help, cared for any family that's walked through the doors of Hackett and genuinely loved his job.
He has resigned because of all of this and is now looking for employment. He has some interviews lined up and we have some people who will be helping him. Someone on our team found an apartment and some basic furniture. Every little bit helps.
The landlord is super flexible and supportive. The furniture was donated by somebody cool. It's not a royal palace or anything, but Tim is super grateful. He explained to me that he always tries to help people, so he didn't know where to start when he needed help.
That's where we come in.
We are collecting money to cover some up front costs for rent and helping Tim get on his feet. He is not looking for anyone to take care of him forever. Our team is getting services in place, while he is also securing employment. We are looking for some breathing room.
Realistically, we understand that applications take time, services can be delayed and who knows what else. As we problem solve from all of these angles, space to operate helps more than you know.
We told Tim that our community is not what's in the comments. We are better than the horrible things people say. Our community cares. We've seen us take care of each other in the worst of times. We believe in us.
Every dollar, every share, every everything is critical. We started collecting money yesterday and those donations will be applied to this. It will not take much to help this man figure things out. We can't change everything in the world, but this? This we can do.
What we do defines us.
Thank you for reading this far and for supporting however you're able!