aul's Story #1
I helped you when need of help"-Paul testimony #1
About 1978, just 3 years after I started my odd advocate on Media
Awareness on child abuse, an incident happened to me which I like to
share with my friends.
We all heard that famous words of: "we should reach into our pockets to
give donation to our charity in our community."
Well for years I said that in my community.
But I also state this: "It's easy to reach into your pocket to give a
small donation. But let's do more than that."
And what is doing more than that?
To help a person in need of help. To comfort them, to be there when they
are sick or in hospital. Help a child in your community. Help the
homeless or with fund raising projects for whatever the cause is.
Why am I telling you this? Because miracles happen in people life.
In 1978, I did some volunteer work for the homeless shelter in Portland,
Oregon. I learned that many people are homeless because of lost of job,
health reason, or just down on their luck.
It was October. The weather kinda cool and got dark early. I walked to
the bus stop to get a ride home. About 8 people were standing there
waiting for the bus.
A very young lady across the street staggered across the street to reach
to us where we were waiting for the city bus.
For some reason, this young child came to me and got onto her knees and
wraped her arms around my legs, screaming out "Help me".
People standing
near me kinda look odd and gradualy walked away from me where this
incident taken place.
Would I help this child if she went to the other people standing waiting
for the bus? The answer is YES.
I pulled the child off my leg. I managed to have her stand up straight.
She smell like alcohol and her clothes filthy dirty. Her face is muddy
and her hair in such a mess.
This young child kept on screaming at me, "Help Me".
Since the homeless shelter was just a few blocks away, I manage to get
her there.
As we were walking, she kept on shouting out that word, "Help me."
I tried to get a name out of her, her age and where she live, and where
are your parents. I could not get no answer from her.
(later I learned she is a 16 year old child from an alcoholic
parents).
This child said the words again, "Help me."
As I was walking with her and passed some retail stores with big
pictures windows.
For some unknown reason, as we walked toward the homeless shelter I made
the child stand in front of a picture window of a clothing store to look
at the reflection of me and her in the glass window.
I said to her: who do you see in the reflection in the window? She said,
me and you.
I for some unknown reason said to this child: whose going to help you?
She said, you are.
I said to her, that is right, but you also must help yourself.
It did not take long to get her to the shelter where help was given to
her. Food was there and some special people came in and taken this child
to a rehab program to help her to dry out from alcohol and drugs, etc.
I was kind of afraid because the police was there to help her. I did not
know if they were to take her to jail or just to write up the report.
I never learned of where this special program is at. I was told that
many people go to the rehab and dry out and go right back to the street
looking for more drugs and alcohol.
MIRACLES:
About 6 years went by. Wife and I down town shopping in the big city of
Portland, Oregon.
We just came out of the Nordstrom store and headed for another store.
As
we were
walking among the people on the street, a young lady came up to me and
given me a
hug.
I had to pull her off of me. Wife standing next to me looking weird at
me. I do not know who you are.
The lady said that I helped her off the street because she was homeless
and hungry.
I said to the lady, I do not know who you are. Wife said to me, she
might be your high school friend.
The lady stood there and open her purse. She pulled out a card with my
photo on it. I knew right away what it is.
It's a card with my photo on it and the big bold letters saying: "I
helped you when need of help."
I still not know who this lady was and I came right out and said it. I
just don't know who you are.
When I said that she:
Taken my arm and turned me around facing a picture window from a
clothing store and said: Whose going to help you?
I stood there and knew right away who she was. Why did I not recognized
her?
She was clean, she looked different, she is a knew child of God.
She did
not smell, nor wore dirty clothes. Off drugs for 4 years and have a job.
This lady was looking for me and kept my card in her purse.
She thanked me.
Do not thank me, I said to her.
Thank yourself for helping yourself. You made the first step
We talked, we laugh, we cried, we hug.
When I help some people I would give them my business card with my photo
on it and the big bold letters saying, "I helped you when in need of
help."
Trying to get this story into a magazine.
A little boy and his twin sister severely abused for 18 years.
His older
brother and sister were not abused.
His parents were not abused when
they were children.
The boy almost died twice but survived to became a crusader against
child abuse.
He graduated from high school at age 21, special education.
Stop Child Abuse since 1975 from Donora, Pa. and Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about Paul..
http://www.efn.org/~scan
http://toto.pitton.com/~lpar/paul_story.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/5077/
Liz & Paul McLaughlin
Stop Child Abuse
Eugene, Oregon 97405