Lunch with Steve

In Denver for a conference and today it was "lunch on your own," which usually suits me just fine.  I managed to find the largest gathering of food trucks in Denver and the food was delicious, despite the cold drizzle of rain.  

And I didn't have to eat alone, either.  A local church was handing out brown bag lunches to several hundred of Denver's nearly 6,000 homeless folk (there are over 12,000 homeless people in Colorado).  I found Steve and we sat together for awhile talking about the challenges he's faced over the years.  Fierce addictions to drugs and alcohol led to a life on the streets for Steve.  Though he finally kicked the crack cocaine habit that dogged him for years, he told me he's still making himself sick with alcohol.  "It's not fun at all, but it's something I'm trying to work through," he told me.  Steve is gracious for the free lunch everyday.  PB&J sandwiches, chips and water.  Today they even included a small orange for which Steve was especially happy to see in his lunch bag.