Hello Readers,

As I conducted interviews about August Turner I was told that at one time he was homeless. For his privacy, I didn’t think that needed to be part of the story I told the Drop In with Debbie readers. I was going to tell about the creative and energetic activities he did at 66 years old. However, when I interviewed August, he was so open and genuine about his years of homelessness. He felt that it should be a part of his story “if it would help someone else”. I realized August was right! I could not capture the heart and soul of him without telling the struggle that got him to where he is now. He overcame so many obstacles, many of his own making. Yet, what he had to overcome did not break him. He is a kind, giving, and friendly gentleman with wisdom to share with others. It is a testament to August that he found the courage to face his own inner struggles and change behaviors. Readers, what part of your past helped make you who you are today?

From his early years, you can see the beginnings of who August would become. It is the juxtaposition of developing quality skills and a healthy lifestyle against the call of alcohol. August took his first drink around 6 years old. His mother had a bottle of Mad Dog that she kept in the kitchen for cooking. For those who don’t know, produced by Mogen David wineries, Mad Dog 20/20 is a wine in which more alcohol is added.  Well, little six-year-old August climbed up on a chair, took the bottle and drank it, “a lot of it”, he said. “That was my first time drunk”. 

August’s mom died when he was 10 years old. Later, his dad remarried. August and his stepmom would play board games and she would let him drink a glass of beer while they played. By 11, he learned to play drums. Also, he attended cub scouts and then boy scouts. By the time he was a teenager, he had earned the distinction of Eagle Scout. 

In his high school years, living in Colorado Springs, August was president of his student body. This was in the 60s, a time of racial divide in our country; August was the first African American president of Palmer High School. As a teenager, he attended the American Legion’s Boys State Convention in Fort Collins. This is a training that focuses on teaching young leaders the structure of our nation’s government. Among the young men from Colorado attending that year, August was elected by his fellow attendees to be “governor of the State of Colorado” – recognition of leadership from his peers. As an athlete and Eagle Scout, August said, “I didn’t do drugs or drink alcohol during high school.”

By 20, August attended the University of Colorado and made the hockey team. His position was right wing and right defense. However, early in his college years, he “got really drunk on Schlitz malt liquor during a drinking game,” he said. Partying became a part of those years.

As a young adult, August built a career path as a computer programmer and manager with several companies in Boulder. During the years that he was living healthy, August was a jazz drummer, playing in churches, professionally, and in gospel choirs. He also found time to coach football and be a referee. However, during his college years he had married. In those years, August said, “I didn’t realize drinking was a problem until I married. Before that, I just saw it as partying.”

Then, his marriage ended. He recognized that the drinking was one of the factors that ended his marriage. He lost his home and the life he knew. He had nowhere to go. It was also the first time he was homeless. It became a pattern – all drug and alcohol related. He would get a job, get an apartment, lose a job, not be able to pay rent and get evicted. August was homeless four times:  twice in 1989, then again in 1991 & 2002. “You can’t pay your rent if you spend all your money on drugs and alcohol,” he said.

August said of those years that it was a full-time job to survive as a person who was homeless. “Suffice to say, it is the worst of human conditions that exist,” he said. At times, friends helped August by giving him a place to sleep – it might be their guest room, a couch, a shed or the backseat of their car, and there were times he had to live on the streets. He also connected to the local homeless shelters and churches in Boulder County. “I spent all day looking for shelter, food, clothing and a job,” he said. 

Readers, if any of us are honest with ourselves, changing our own behaviors is one of the biggest challenges we all face. Jacob Braude was a longtime judge in Chicago in the 50s and 60s. He was known for his wit and honesty on and off the bench.  Braude became an author of 18 books; he’s seen and heard it all. He says, “Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”  Longmont resident, August Turner decided that the way to turn his life around was to make some serious changes. Reader, have you had to make changes in your life?

He started attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA), a 12-step model program where individuals meet to encourage and help each other get away from substance abuse. “You can’t keep rebuilding your life from scratch over and over again. The last time, I lost everything,” August said. He described sitting in the NA meetings and listening to fellow addicts tell their stories. He watched people get free from substance addiction. “I identified with other members in NA,” he said. “If they could get clean, so could I. The insanity of their stories sounded like my life, and I wanted to survive.” August said it was the “survival instinct” that helped him get clean. August has now been free of drugs and alcohol for 12 years. 

He is currently a lead staff member for H.O.P.E. (Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement), a program that assists people who are currently or at-risk of being homeless in Longmont. That includes providing food, clothing and/or a bed as well as counseling and other support systems. “I am a believer in God. I believe he put me where I have something to offer”, August said. Alice Sueltenfuss, Navigation Services Director at H.O.P.E., said that August is an asset as he works with others who are homeless or in addiction. She said she has watched him stop what he is doing to take time to talk to folks and encourage them to make different choices. “He makes an impression on our participants. It inspires them when they hear his story.” Readers, what about your life might inspire others?

I also met with H.O.P.E. employees, Sarah Clark – client advocate, Cammy Cadwell – program manager and Karen Antonacci – the development manager.  The H.O.P.E. crew explained to me that, without stereotyping, the main reason people are homeless is “because they have experienced some type of trauma and then continued trauma every day they are on the street.” Alice said. “Everyone has had at least one adverse life experience and it has been difficult to get past that,” Sarah said. Often drugs and alcohol are a secondary effect from being homeless, the employees told me. People who are homeless are open to theft, weather elements, violence. It is not uncommon to hear people “jumped” by someone just choosing to be violent to a defenseless person, H.O.P.E. employees explained.

As H.O.P.E. works towards self-sufficiency for the homeless, the biggest challenges are the cost of living and the housing shortage. Along with that, Sarah said, “a person typically needs a three-year rental history.” It’s like the chicken or the egg. How do you get a housing history if your job can’t afford housing? So you work, but you are still homeless.

That is not the case for August. Now, 66 years old, he has his own apartment. He continues to play his drums when he has the opportunity. He is also an entrepreneur with his own home and office construction business. Another talent of his – he makes custom jewelry boxes from exotic woods from around the world such as purple heart, zebra wood, African ebony and curly maple. One famous customer of his is Hazel Miller, a well-known singer for three decades; she and her band perform jazz, R&B, blues, gospel and original music. He also builds scale model cars, rides a bicycle, designs and sews his own curtains and cooks. “I have a 15-bean-soup to die for,” he said. He has played league, club and intramural hockey and is currently still playing locally here in Longmont at Roosevelt Park. August is the father of four children and one grandchild. August said, “It is much easier to maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle than it is to live a reckless and self-serving one. Most of my time was wasted on nonsense and chasing after things that were no good for me – either health-wise or mentally.” Now, August has a long-range goal – “I plan on living until I’m 135, and I have lots to do,” he said with his easy humor. 

Readers, in 2018, H.O.P.E. served 17,058 meals and assisted in 35 people who found housing and became self-sufficient. The majority of homeless in Longmont are between the ages of 18 and 50. However, over 20% are seniors and 2% are under 18 years of age. Men make up 70 to 80 percent of the homeless. Cammy said, “If you are looking to donate items, we need underwear, gloves, coffee and razors.” Karen added that they are always looking for financial donations. She recommends that you talk to your employers about the possibility of giving a matching donation. 

While interviewing August’s coworkers, I had the privilege to help pack lunch bags that are provided to those who are homeless. I have some suggestions if you want to give in this way. Think about what it would be like for you if you were handed a paper bag with food items. If it’s tuna fish, make sure it’s a pull-top can lid or a pouch because you probably don’t have access to a can opener. If it’s a small container of peaches, you will need a spoon. If it’s a small container of peanut butter you would need a small wooden or plastic knife. Put yourself in the shoes of the person living on the street. What would your needs be? A bag of food should contain a protein, a fruit, some snacks – all things that can be stored in containers, not fresh. That’s just from my observation as I helped pack the bags.

I am very thankful to August for allowing me to tell his story. He gave us all a gift, readers. He is in a position to give back to others in a place where he once walked. He gave us the gift of seeing things from the perspective of one who has been there. 

Again, we had numerous responses about last month’s story on tiny house living. A reader, telling me about a friend who was having trouble downsizing, said:   “I could see how these things continue to weigh her down.  It is emotional to get rid of things that have defined your life.  I agree with Thoreau.  I don’t want to die and find out I never lived.” A thoughtful response for our lives, I think.

At the same time that we were reading last month’s blog, my friends Ann and Rhian were downsizing a family member’s home. They found numerous stories written by Rhian’s grandmother, called “Nannie”, Martha McPherson Patterson. She had written events told to her by her mother – Rhian’s great grandparents, Adeline and Sam McPherson. Sam was a southern preacher during the time of the civil war era. They also found stories written by Eleanor McNeely (1772-1846). Eleanor was the grandmother of Sam McPherson- Adaline’s husband. 

The letter by Eleanor starts with this: “Rowan County – State of North Carolina – Dec 18th, 1797; to my Great Grand Daughter:  (To be born about 100 years hence), this is my 25th birthday; if I do not watch out I will soon be an old maid.  I feel like I was ever so old.  But I got to wondering about a hundred years from now.  My children will all be dead, my grandchildren old and married and I will probably have a granddaughter.  Everything will be so different from now.  Then I thought why not write her a letter.  Brother Isaac has just given me some beautiful white paper and pen and ink.  So here is the letter.” Readers, have you told your ancestor’s history to your family?

In a different correspondence written by Martha, she tells of challenges and happy times while living during the civil war era. In one such incident, Adaline and a neighbor, Emily Lipe walked to the mill to get their homegrown corn ground to use for baking. “As they continued on the road to the mill, a band of Bushwhackers overtook them and told them to halt and dismount, which they did.  Then the men dragged all their sacks of corn off the horses and poured it out over the muddy ground.  They said they were hunting for something, – they wouldn’t say what.  Since they found nothing but corn, they weren’t interested.  They mounted their horses and rode away, leaving Mother and Emily to scoop up their corn with their hands and put it back into their sacks.”

Thank you, Ann and Rhian, for sharing these family treasures. Downsizing your home is difficult at best, and heart-wrenching as we decide what to keep and what to get rid of or pass on to others. Then there are those beautiful moments where we find gems of history that become a part of the historical and oral history of our families. Reader, what is a piece of your past that you value greatly? How did you share it with your family?

 

 Until next month, may peace be at your side, 

Debbie Noel

We have several ways to interact with Debbie!

• Email her at DroppingInWithDebbie@gmail.com

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Debbie Noel
C/o Longmont Senior Center
910 Longs Peak Avenue
Longmont, Colorado 80501

 

H.O.P.E. is one of the collective partners of Boulder County’s Homeless Service programs

Website:       http://hopeforlongmont.org 

Headquarters address: 220 Collyer St, Longmont, CO 80501

Shelter sites: provided by Journey Church, 2000 Pike Road and Faith Baptist Gym at 833 15th Ave, both in Longmont.

Headquarters phone: 720-494-4673 to get more information or give food, clothing or other donations

Financial donations can be given through the website or mail to H.O.P.E., P.O. Box 756, Longmont, Colorado 80502