Edward Myers: “Restored Faith”
Edward Myers smiles outside Corner Shower and Laundry.
A couple years ago, Edward Myers returned to his native Detroit after a few years of traveling around the Midwest. Although he was glad to be back in a familiar place, he found himself struggling between monthly child support bills and rising rent prices. He eventually succumbed to homelessness and has since made every effort to "get his life straightened out."
Before coming to Corner Shower and Laundry, he did not have regular or safe access to shower or laundry facilities. To wash his clothes, he used to walk around picking up bottles and cans so that he could get enough change to buy some detergent and do a couple loads of laundry. To clean himself, he would wake up early in the morning and go to the V.A. Hospital before the employees arrived, where he would find a bathroom on the upper floor and use the sink to wash himself.
When he found Corner Shower and Laundry last August, it was truly a game-changer for him. He said,
"When you can wash your clothes and clean yourself up, that is a big plus for me. It helped a lot with my self-esteem and my confidence because, you know, wearing the same clothes everyday, and sweating in them and sleeping in them, trying to stay warm, trying to stay cool... that was just taking a toll on me."
Edward shared about the experiences of violence and humiliation that he has experienced throughout his homelessness. He remembers laying on the bench in the park, and having a group of businessmen throw rocks at him from across the street. This was one of the events that caused him to "give up on humanity." He said,
"I just said to myself, 'Forget the world, forget people.' Because no matter how much effort I put forth to try to help myself, to better myself -- like getting a state ID or something like that -- I would always run into a road block. I was just angry and I just gave up. Not so much on myself, but I just gave up on the human race."
But he said that feeling didn't last. There have been moments since that have "restored his faith in humanity." Like when a woman got out of her car last winter and offered him a sleeping bag and a warm cup of coffee. Or when employees at the V.A. Hospital started leaving him bags of cans and bottles for him to return. Or when he found Corner Shower and Laundry.
He said, "Now I know there are some people in the world with good hearts, big hearts, who will do what they can to help." Edward is hopeful that he will get safe and stable housing soon. Right now, he is still living out of his tent. But he is working with a social worker who has told him he could be days or weeks away from getting his own apartment.
As he reflected on his journey with tears in his eyes, he said,
"When I cry, it’s because I’m just so grateful. And I know how good God is. I cry because I’m just so glad that God spared me. That he showed me such mercy and kindness, that helped make me the person I am today."