Last Friday, I pulled into the shelter parking lot, returning from an outing to an art gallery with two clients.

I noted 3 guys sitting up against the garage door - one of which was signed up for the outing. As I walked up to chat, I heckled him for missing out. I was familiar with 2 of the 3. The guy I hadn't met, reached his hand up to me. I could tell he was pretty intoxicated and soon noted the tallboy of Steel Reserve sitting between his feet. I kneeled down and took his hand, he pleaded with me to help his wife and family. I asked where they were - he told me that they were staying at a nearby shelter. All I could do was reassure him that the staff over there would do whatever they could to help them. I hope that he trusts in that and feels that they are in a safe space.

I soon found myself gathering up a blanket for him as he had stated to me that he planned to sleep outside that night. It turned out that we were able to give him a bed and once that happened, he curled up and went to sleep for the rest of the night. In doing this, I did bend the rules but he seemed distraught and wasn't being obnoxious or overtly intoxicated so that the other guests knew. I've grown to be stringent on the rule to be able to enforce our policy to be a sober shelter and to be consistant with that rule (A lot of guests struggle to stay on the right path (for them, at the time) and stay sober and a slip-up could be a set back).

It's crazy how much comes out when someone has been drinking, I've seen more men crying in the last 6 months than I have in my lifetime. Even when they put on the tough guy front, the emotions spill out at some point, I suppose.