A Scary Night -- Alone
Last night we encountered a situation that struck me deeply. Perhaps it was so striking because I could imagine close family members in a similar situation. I was very uncomfortable leaving without offering to help but I was also very uncomfortable offering to help.
As we waited for Selina's flight, we stopped for dinner. We selected a restaurant near Adonnis and near the freeway. We at at Denney's Restaurant at about 5th South and 3rd West in downtown Salt Lake City. It happens to be near the homeless shelter and has a lot of transient people in the area.
As we waited for our order and ate, I noticed a woman come in and use the phone several times. I noticed that she didn't have anything with her but the clothing she was wearing (very seldom do I see a woman in this situation who doesn't at least have a handbag or cell phone). She seemed worried.
As we finished our meal, we still had about an hour and a half before Selina's delayed flight would arrive at 10:47 pm. While walking out of the restaurant, the woman was sitting on the bench by the front door. Her face was moist and red around her eyes (as if she had been crying) and she had one of her legs pulled up into the fetal position.
We walked past and said hello on our way to the car. We stopped near the parking lot and Noell and I talked about her. We felt concerned and felt we were safe in visiting with her and seeing if there was something we could do to help. We walked back to her and visited with her.
She is not from the area, has little money, has stayed some nights at the homeless shelter with her boyfriend (until her grandparents paid for a hotel - for a few nights). The hotel room was listed in her boyfriend's name and he kicked her out. It was too late to get into a homeless shelter for the night. Just before we came out of the restaurant, some men had walked past her and from the sidewalk turned to her and said, "It will happen at 10:00 tonight." This had made her especially fearful of what they might do to her.
That area, at night has a lot of scary men pass by quite regularly. I called Ballard Veater to ask what options he might suggest (he works with the homeless at Welfare Square). He provided some great options and advice.
After discussing options with Melissa (her name) she decided to go a couple blocks down the street to a Maverik gas station where a friend of hers worked. We drove her there. The friend wasn't at work and, as expected, they wouldn't give her his phone number. When she returned to the car and explained this, we asked what options she saw. We offered to take her to a bus station where there were lights (and security guards) or any other option within reason. She decided she would feel most comfortable at her friend's apartment.
Her friend lives about 15 minutes away in a gated apartment complex, she felt she would be safe there. We drove her to the area (she had previously lived there for a while). As we drove into the area, Noell, Kaneesha, and I thought to ourselves, "Wow, this doesn't seem like a safe area."
A lady let Melissa into the gate (even though her friend didn't appear to be there at the moment). Before Melissa went inside, she came back to thank us, say goodbye, and assure us that she would be safe.
While I wish we could have done more, we felt good that we had done what we could to help. We also felt that while the area didn't look as safe as our home in Payson, Melissa was much better off in that location than she was in the transient area of downtown Salt Lake.
As we left Melissa to pick up Selina, a prayer entered my heart that Melissa would be safe and that our family members would never be found in such a situation with no place to go and nobody to help.
As we waited for Selina's flight, we stopped for dinner. We selected a restaurant near Adonnis and near the freeway. We at at Denney's Restaurant at about 5th South and 3rd West in downtown Salt Lake City. It happens to be near the homeless shelter and has a lot of transient people in the area.
As we waited for our order and ate, I noticed a woman come in and use the phone several times. I noticed that she didn't have anything with her but the clothing she was wearing (very seldom do I see a woman in this situation who doesn't at least have a handbag or cell phone). She seemed worried.
As we finished our meal, we still had about an hour and a half before Selina's delayed flight would arrive at 10:47 pm. While walking out of the restaurant, the woman was sitting on the bench by the front door. Her face was moist and red around her eyes (as if she had been crying) and she had one of her legs pulled up into the fetal position.
We walked past and said hello on our way to the car. We stopped near the parking lot and Noell and I talked about her. We felt concerned and felt we were safe in visiting with her and seeing if there was something we could do to help. We walked back to her and visited with her.
She is not from the area, has little money, has stayed some nights at the homeless shelter with her boyfriend (until her grandparents paid for a hotel - for a few nights). The hotel room was listed in her boyfriend's name and he kicked her out. It was too late to get into a homeless shelter for the night. Just before we came out of the restaurant, some men had walked past her and from the sidewalk turned to her and said, "It will happen at 10:00 tonight." This had made her especially fearful of what they might do to her.
That area, at night has a lot of scary men pass by quite regularly. I called Ballard Veater to ask what options he might suggest (he works with the homeless at Welfare Square). He provided some great options and advice.
After discussing options with Melissa (her name) she decided to go a couple blocks down the street to a Maverik gas station where a friend of hers worked. We drove her there. The friend wasn't at work and, as expected, they wouldn't give her his phone number. When she returned to the car and explained this, we asked what options she saw. We offered to take her to a bus station where there were lights (and security guards) or any other option within reason. She decided she would feel most comfortable at her friend's apartment.
Her friend lives about 15 minutes away in a gated apartment complex, she felt she would be safe there. We drove her to the area (she had previously lived there for a while). As we drove into the area, Noell, Kaneesha, and I thought to ourselves, "Wow, this doesn't seem like a safe area."
A lady let Melissa into the gate (even though her friend didn't appear to be there at the moment). Before Melissa went inside, she came back to thank us, say goodbye, and assure us that she would be safe.
While I wish we could have done more, we felt good that we had done what we could to help. We also felt that while the area didn't look as safe as our home in Payson, Melissa was much better off in that location than she was in the transient area of downtown Salt Lake.
As we left Melissa to pick up Selina, a prayer entered my heart that Melissa would be safe and that our family members would never be found in such a situation with no place to go and nobody to help.
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