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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Adult education GED classes offered
Anderson Community Schools is offering classes in GED preparation, English Language classes and Basic Education Refresher classes for the 2011-12 school year.
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ACS taking a look at its dress code
The Anderson Community School Corp. dress code that many parents have argued against may see some slack in the near future.
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McGhee sworn in as newest member of ACS board
New Anderson Community Schools board member Danny McGhee was sworn in with a group of community members there in his support Tuesday.
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South Madison board interviews 4 finalists
The search went from 12 to four, and on Thursday, only one will remain to fill the vacancy of the South Madison Community School Corp. board.
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Proposed bill would streamline college credit transfer process
Indiana college students worried about whether their credit hours will transfer to another university may get some relief if a proposed higher-education bill passes.
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Shift to online learning raises questions about costs to schools
Legislation that would require high school students in Indiana to take at least one online course is meeting resistance from some school administrators who say they can’t afford any more mandates from the state.
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Wall Street atmosphere alive at AU
Surrounded by a stock market ticker and television screens showing the latest stock prices and world financial news, Federico Boscaini purchased 230 shares of Chevron stock for more than $24,000. He did it in a financial stock trading room at Anderson University — and with university funds.
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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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Adult education GED classes offered
