News-Sentinel.com

Yearnings and learnings

What the journalists who shared the lives of residents at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and Charis House brought back with them.

Staff writer Dan Cortez on the rescue mission...

* Along with a place for men to temporarily call home, a detailed six-month program at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission tries to turn around lives of addicts. My prior (mis)conception was men sat outside and smoked cigarettes all day, but that is not even half of what the mission is doing.

* I was very surprised to learn how the men got along. Of course, there were some who didn't associate regularly. But when classes started, residents who spoke up were almost never ridiculed. Men help with each other's laundry. The mission's rules might force the men to act this way, but that simply means the men have adapted and the system works. I expected fights, but voices were not even raised consistently.

* I missed the small things. A twin size bed six feet off the floor isn't very comfortable. I missed being able to get food any time of the day, instead of just at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I missed not having control of the TV, which residents can sign up to have control over during their favorite shows.

Photographer Aaron Suozzi on the rescue mission...

* Human beings are impressive creatures. After hitting rock bottom, the strength and determination some of these men have to get their lives back together, for themselves, their families and people around them is incredibly amazing.

* Always volunteer to work the kitchen. Taking out trash might be gross, but you get to eat as much food as you can possibly consume, and with Lorenzo Kinnie cooking, that is always a good thing.

* There truly is no place like home. While I enjoyed my stay and the camaraderie of living with these men while they take steps to improve their lives, I really missed my wife and children and interacting with my family on a daily basis.

Photographer Ellie Bogue on Charis House...

* The three things I missed the most when I spent my week at Charis House were caffeine in my coffee, two pillows and my children.

* Three things I learned while at Charis were the difference between sympathy and empathy, what "a dirty drop" (a positive drug test) means, and how to climb off my bunk bed without a ladder in the dark.

Staff writer Jennifer Boen on Charis House...

* What I most missed: the softness of two-ply toilet paper and my pillow-top mattress, adequate lighting, and drinking a cup of coffee or a soda somewhere other than the kitchen; house rules say it's a no-no.

* What I learned: Women of all ages, colors and backgrounds have the same need for love, care and acceptance; doing the stomp dance with my Charis House sisters beats any TV sitcom; and people really do vacuum at 6 a.m.