Hodges Jones
10/16/1928

“… I didn’t think I had it in me!
It’s amazing what can come out
of a person. Yep!”

I’ve always been a loner. When I first came here, I was sort of a stick-in-the-mud. I was stuck up. I was living in my truck. The people from St. Mary’s Center found me at my truck. That’s how I got involved here.
A lot of people say this is the best shelter that they have been in. The staff don’t talk to us like we are crazy or drug addicts. They treat us like human beings.
Because of my drug charges, I was required to attend the Recovery 55 meetings. I was always quiet at those meetings. I would sit in one special corner, and I didn’t seem to want to participate or talk or anything. One morning Georgia asked me what did I think about being in these meetings? I told her “I’m only coming because the courts told me to.” She said, “Oh, you’ll be back.” Sure enough, she was right. Even after the court order was over, I kept coming back.
I don’t want to live on the street again. I’m going to try to avoid that. I’m not a lazy person, I like doing something. I’m a diabetic and have high blood pressure. It’s good for me to walk. So when I walk around, I make it useful. I recycle as I go, which keeps a few dollars in my pocket.
Susan asks us to do art. Before I know it I’m painting or drawing! It don’t come to me until I come into this class. I don’t have no drawing in mind. But you give me some paper and some pencils and you say, “Draw,” and I’ll start doo-daddling around until something comes out! I admire myself to be participating like this because I didn’t think I had it in me! It’s amazing what can come out of a person. Yep!
St. Mary’s has brought things out of me that I didn’t know about. Some people say that I have opened up more since I have been here. I like that! I just started gradually, like a flower, budding out. I started blooming.
When new people come to St. Mary’s, I tell ‘em, “Hang in there and keep coming back, because it’ll rub off on you. Gradually, after you keep coming, you’ll start knowing the people and how they treat you, and you’ll start liking it.” I’m rather enjoying the St. Mary’s life!