Johnathan Evans is dead.
I learned this today from an article/obit at philly.com, the online version of the Philadelphia Inquirer. I had never heard of the man before.
The article tells us that Evans was homeless, himself, and mentally ill when he received help. Later, hired as a homeless-outreach worker, he demonstrated extraordinary compassion in aiding homeless people who were the most afflicted by problems. Who were lost. Destitute. Incontinent. At the far frayed fringy edges of Philadelphia's Homeless World.
Now, as I say, I don't know this man Evans. Maybe the article exaggerates his mere goodness to the status of sainthood. But there are great good people around in the high-ways and byways of Homeless World Sacramento; they are just not people who are lauded.
Many administrators at homeless-services charities get lauded, but they are narcissistic, promoting themselves, endlessly; and they continually make bad decisions harming homeless people's efforts to pull their lives together; and in seeking donations, they misrepresent their charity or real need -- all of which is the opposite of one's sense of Evans.
Anthony Gonzalez -- real name Roy Sanchez -- gets lauded while he is hidden by the numbskulls of Loaves & Fishes for eight years while dodging a felony charge of sexual abuse of a child. No saints here.
But, there are Evans-like near-saints in Sacramento. The great good people in Sacramento's extended Homeless World can be spotted because they are fully aware of others and these others' needs. They have mostly forgotten themselves. Their names never get mentioned in our local media, because they never seek notice nor is the placid media in our town adventuresome enough to find these folks.
There are a few volunteers at Loaves & Fishes' Friendship Park who have been candidate great good people with a plenteous measure of compassion. These volunteers; they come and go. L&F employees Jerry who worked in the daily storage shed at F. Park and Wash House Mark are fellows of extraordinary goodness and compassion. They glow. Mark's still around but not at the Wash House. Jerry is likely still about, but I haven't seen him in years. Nor have I seen Mark, for that matter.
James Bradley, a fellow I knew, a total good-hearted Jesus Freak, set up his own little fully-free counselling enterprise, aiding those most hurting, taking people where they could best get attention for their problems -- when Genesis and Loaves would say "Nope. It ain't OUR problem." [Loaves & Fishes never helps the most needy -- "we have legal limitations (cough, cough)." Just like the Mental Health facility in Las Vegas, Loaves & Fishes abandoned a fellow named John Brown, sending him off with directions he had no hope of following after him voicing his intent to commit suicide. "Not our problem. We didn't see anything. But, hey, have you seen our new Top Administraitors' Office Building!? Our latest land acquisition!?]
There are great good people around. They are rare, and seldom seen and ALWAYS not the ones promoting themselves or being promoted by local media.
The article tells us that Evans was homeless, himself, and mentally ill when he received help. Later, hired as a homeless-outreach worker, he demonstrated extraordinary compassion in aiding homeless people who were the most afflicted by problems. Who were lost. Destitute. Incontinent. At the far frayed fringy edges of Philadelphia's Homeless World.
Now, as I say, I don't know this man Evans. Maybe the article exaggerates his mere goodness to the status of sainthood. But there are great good people around in the high-ways and byways of Homeless World Sacramento; they are just not people who are lauded.
Many administrators at homeless-services charities get lauded, but they are narcissistic, promoting themselves, endlessly; and they continually make bad decisions harming homeless people's efforts to pull their lives together; and in seeking donations, they misrepresent their charity or real need -- all of which is the opposite of one's sense of Evans.
Anthony Gonzalez -- real name Roy Sanchez -- gets lauded while he is hidden by the numbskulls of Loaves & Fishes for eight years while dodging a felony charge of sexual abuse of a child. No saints here.
But, there are Evans-like near-saints in Sacramento. The great good people in Sacramento's extended Homeless World can be spotted because they are fully aware of others and these others' needs. They have mostly forgotten themselves. Their names never get mentioned in our local media, because they never seek notice nor is the placid media in our town adventuresome enough to find these folks.
There are a few volunteers at Loaves & Fishes' Friendship Park who have been candidate great good people with a plenteous measure of compassion. These volunteers; they come and go. L&F employees Jerry who worked in the daily storage shed at F. Park and Wash House Mark are fellows of extraordinary goodness and compassion. They glow. Mark's still around but not at the Wash House. Jerry is likely still about, but I haven't seen him in years. Nor have I seen Mark, for that matter.
James Bradley, a fellow I knew, a total good-hearted Jesus Freak, set up his own little fully-free counselling enterprise, aiding those most hurting, taking people where they could best get attention for their problems -- when Genesis and Loaves would say "Nope. It ain't OUR problem." [Loaves & Fishes never helps the most needy -- "we have legal limitations (cough, cough)." Just like the Mental Health facility in Las Vegas, Loaves & Fishes abandoned a fellow named John Brown, sending him off with directions he had no hope of following after him voicing his intent to commit suicide. "Not our problem. We didn't see anything. But, hey, have you seen our new Top Administraitors' Office Building!? Our latest land acquisition!?]
There are great good people around. They are rare, and seldom seen and ALWAYS not the ones promoting themselves or being promoted by local media.
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