As you may know, I deliver Meals on Wheels every Sunday and have been for about three years now. In doing so you get to know your regular clients in various small ways - their schedules, needs and preferences etc. These "clients" (for lack of a better term) come and go over time for a variety of reasons. Some move away or recover from an illness and no longer require meals delivered.
Meals on Wheels provides services to a wide range of individuals: wealthy, poor, disabled, sick or just old and alone. If you can't prepare a meal for yourself it doesn't matter, everyone needs to eat. That is what I like about the organization - it is a non-judgmental service available to anyone who requires it. It is not free, however those in need may have their cost subsidized in some way.
One of these clients is Arthur. I am just a driver and don't deal with the specifics of each customer's situation so I am not sure of his story but I suspect it is not a good one. When I first delivered to him he lived in an older but fairly decent apartment building, in fact it was a building I used to live in. I hadn't delivered to Arthur for several months until recently when he showed up again on my delivery schedule. However he now lives in a sordid downtown rooming house. A deplorable place that a decent landlord would be ashamed to own. But I guess these tenants need someplace to live although they are only a step away from being homeless.
I have been delivering to Arthur for several weeks now - and it is not a very pleasant place to go. He is up three sets of stairs - each one more narrow than the last until you reach a small landing with a door that opens on a bed - Arthur's home. As I delivered his meal today I met Arthur in the hallway. He asked if I would leave it outside his room up at the top of the stairs which I did. As I was leaving he offered me his hand in a surprisingly firm and warm handshake and wished me a Happy New Year. His wish was sincere and that is why I am writing about it.
I understand that Arthur's plight is known to those who deal with people in his social situation and that there is hope that he will be provided with better living conditions at some point. I hope so. I like Arthur and I hope he has a Happy New Year too.
1 comment:
I hope that Arthur can be placed in a more suitable lodging. I also hope that in this coming year, there are regulations placed upon rooming houses. There are no rules and they do not fall withing the rentalsman's jurisdiction. People in rooming houses have no rights and can easily be taken advantage of by slumlords.
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