“You noticed me.”

Wally was getting ready to take his own life when Kimberly, one of our case managers, introduced herself at the bus stop. “I usually just want to sit down and read my book, but something told me to reach out to him.” They got to talking, and that’s when Wally (whose name we changed for anonymity) shared that he was seriously contemplating suicide. Kimberly gave him her card, told him to stop by Reconciliation Services the next day, and offered case management services. 

Wally accepted and said, “Thanks. Everybody else made me feel invisible, but you noticed me.”

When he came in for his first appointment, Wally shared that he was homeless, living out of the back of a UHaul since a difficult break up. He had lost his teeth after years of hard living and he couldn’t afford dentures. Wally said his goals were to get a job, get his own place, and get his teeth fixed. 

Wally and Kimberly met every week at first, sometimes twice a week for multiple hours at a time. Kimberly asked a lot of questions, which she does with all of her case management clients. “When you’re working with somebody, you’re in the room with the subject matter expert. They know more about their life than I do. They know what their strengths are. It’s a partnership, they’re in the driver seat and I’m riding shotgun.”  

Wally said he didn’t have any strengths. “I’m just a quitter,” he said. But Kimberly noticed many instances in his stories where he was quite brave. She began to remind Wally of his own words, his acts of bravery, and over time he began to believe that he was strong. 

One act of bravery hung heavy on Wally’s shoulder. He and his long time partner were addicted to hard drugs for many years. It was an endless downward spiral -- any time one of them thought about quitting, the other would just pull them back in. When they finally hit rock bottom and lost everything, Wally decided to crawl his way out. He eventually got clean and tried to help his partner change their ways, but they weren’t having it. Kimberly reminded him that he could be a role model and encourage his partner, but ultimately it was their decision.

Wally soldiered on.  

The first goal they decided to tackle was finding a job. Kimberly helped Wally put in some applications online and she called a staffing agency that he had worked with in the past. Eventually he landed a job working at a warehouse that paid pretty good money. Wally was so excited, he took it upon himself to reach out to another nonprofit to get himself a new pair of work boots. 

Wally felt really good when he started the job and Kimberly encouraged him to celebrate the milestone as they started work toward the next one: finding a home.   

It’s hard to say what involves more paperwork, applying for a job or applying for housing. Kimberly and Wally dove in together: jumping from website to website, calling places and leaving messages, filling out applications… At the same time, Wally happened to run into an old friend of his who mentioned that the place where he was staying may have some openings. 

That place actually worked out and within a few months of signing up for case management at Reconciliation Services, Wally had his own place. This didn’t come as too much of a surprise to Kimberly, “Once people believe in themselves, things just take off. Once they know their worth, it’s amazing.” 

It was months into their relationship before Wally started smiling around Kimberly. He was self-conscious having not had his teeth worked on and he reserved his smile for only those he trusted. When he moved into his place, he told Kimberly with a grin, “I can’t believe I have a place again where I can cook for myself. I can feel my soul again.” 

Soon after, Wally could show his smile to everyone again, too. Through the Judge Moulton fund, Kimberly was able to help Wally pay for his dentures. “I can smile whenever I feel like it,” said Wally.

Before the pandemic shut down in-person dining at Thelma’s Kitchen, Wally would volunteer in exchange for lunch and share his smile with the guests. He said he was treated with respect, “That’s important when you’re struggling. You don’t need someone to kick you while you’re down.” 

Wally has stayed on good footing during the pandemic. He’s kept his place clean and his bills paid, and is thankful to have a friend in the building so he doesn’t feel totally isolated. 

Kimberly said she notices that same resiliency in all of the clients she works with. “Someone may be down for a moment, but they still have dreams. They’re still a person, plain and simple. Any of us could find ourselves in a position where we need help. And when someone says they’re down, I tell them about this amazing place called Reconciliation Services. We help people the way they want to be helped. When people hear that, they want to come check it out.” 

Learn more about our REVEAL case management services here and call 816-931-4751 ext. 1 to schedule an appointment. To support the life-giving services we offer to our neighbors, visit our donate page. For just $45 a month, you can help Kimberly and her team help folks like Wally get their life back on track.