Randy Fosnot, 28
Almost completely deaf, Randy reads lips to communicate and said he typically loses jobs due to his inability to follow orders as well as his hearing peers. He moved to the Christian Center four months ago when his sister was evicted from her home, leaving him with no place to go.
He lived in a van for a month before finding the homeless shelter, a far cry from the 5-year period when he maintained his own apartment. Despite his impairment, Fosnot said he was hopeful about finding work. “I’m a quick learner,” he said in slurred words that gave away his hearing impairment.
When he finally finds his way back to financial stability, Fosnot said, he hopes to become a photographer.
Ronald Sorrell, 47
There’s no mystery. Ronald is homeless because he’s an alcoholic. He moved to the Christian Center four months ago and is proud of the fact that he’s not tasted a drop of liquor since. But the demons that haunted him over the past handful of decades lurk in the background, keeping the Rushville native from leaving the shelter.
A former factory worker, Sorrell said he hopes to find work again, but knows what work means to an alcoholic.
“An alcoholic’s motive is his job. He keeps his job so he can keep his supply.”
There may be hope for Ronald if it is true that a person has to hit rock-bottom before finding his way back to sobriety.
“I already went a little farther than hitting rock-bottom,” he said.
James Lockridge, 19
If James could earn his high-school equivalency diploma, he might have a shot at enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps, but it hasn’t happened yet. He moved to the homeless shelter just under two months ago when his probation officer told him he’d have to live within Anderson city limits.
With nowhere to stay, he turned to the shelter.
Arrested for criminal conversion, or theft, James said he was hoping to move on from his criminal past and become a Marine, or maybe a firefighter.
He said he knows that he must get his GED before he can enter either profession, but admitted that he’d done little to work toward the goal, and insisted that he’s not been getting enough help to get the high school equivalency qualification.
Daniel Troup, 57
It took three years, but Daniel became a bona fide success story. He moved to the Christian Center after health problems caused him to quit his job as a meat cutter, leaving him homeless.
Exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, Troup suffers from hypoglycemia that leaves him lightheaded or nauseous, depending on his sugar level. He’s not quite diabetic yet, but knows it’s coming.
Upon moving to the center, Troup was led to the kitchen for work and discovered an unknown prowess as a chef and kitchen manager at the shelter.
Eight weeks ago, Troup moved into his own apartment and accepted a full-time job as the kitchen manager at the Christian Center. He hopes to use the facility not only as an employer, but also as a ministry to help other homeless men find God, and then find their way back from the shadows of society.
Although his own grit and determination contributed greatly to his success, Troup gave the praise to God.
“I was a believer in Jesus Christ before,” he said. “I’m a follower of Christ today, and that has made all the difference.”
Jimmie Schuster, 33
Three years ago, Jimmy said, he was a falling-down drunk who ended up sleeping under a bridge when no one else would take him in. Today, he’s just months from graduating from Harrison College with an associate’s degree in business management.
Although he’s enrolled in college, Jimmy continues to live at the homeless shelter and helps the staff check in homeless men looking for a place to stay each night.
Growing up in an affluent home, Jimmy said he hopes people realize that homelessness does not discriminate.
“Homelessness has no face,” he said. “Whether you grow up in the ghetto or a rich neighborhood, you can end up homeless.”
Local Education
Homeless for a Night: The faces of the displaced
- Local Education
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NCLB loses grip on Indiana
Indiana is one of the first 10 states in the nation to receive a waiver from President Barack Obama’s administration for certain requirements within No Child Left Behind. That spells change for local districts.
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In a roundabout way
If all goes well, construction for a new roundabout at the intersection of Indiana 38 and County Road 300 West near Pendleton Heights Middle School could begin by the middle of next year.
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Search for history on Mars
Greg McCauley will discuss a Mars mission at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Pendleton Public Library, 595 E. Water St. The 45-minute talk featuring multimedia is free and open to the public.
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Let the words flow
Aaron Lucky Jr., a junior at Anderson Preparatory Academy, has been told he has “a nice voice and a way with words” for a long time. He’ll show off those skills when he heads to Indianapolis Feb. 25 as a participant in Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest.
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Anderson High School's graduation rates increase
AHS has tied for 14th place out of the top 20 for the most improvement in non-waiver graduation rates for the 2010-11 school year. “We were just thrilled,” AHS Principal Lucinda McCord said.
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South Madison narrows board candidate pool to four
The South Madison Community School Corp. school board has narrowed its search to fill a vacant board position to four finalists.
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A super experience
Ivy Tech student Kavelle Brooks and Anderson High School senior Zach Burkhardt, Super Bowl ambassadors for Anderson Community Schools, have been involved in the planning since eighth grade.
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East Elementary 6th-graders team up for NFL Play 60 Challenge
A sixth-grade class at East Elementary, 893 E. U.S. 36, received a few surprises after participating in the NFL Play 60 Challenge.
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NFL 'Play' program tackles child obesity
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was basking in the relative anonymity Wednesday at the NFL Experience, goofing around with kids at one of the drill stations and signing autographs.
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South Madison school board receives large pool of candidates
The South Madison Community School Corp. school board is looking for a new member, and with the applications that came in Jan. 27, there are plenty to choose from.
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