The mornings are beginning to get chilly, but the temperature turns warm since summer has not left us. It’s Thursday, and it’s my turn to greet the men who come for breakfast, to shower, to wash their clothes and even get some- thing new to wear. It’s their chance to feel the human warmth offered to them at Poverello House.

I became a volunteer when the Poverello House Yard reopened. I felt its calling after reading about it and subsequently writing about it in June for the Ward 3 newsletter. I work as an aide for Ward 3 Council Member Paul Durham. The house on East Lee Street is in Ward 3.
On my Thursday-morning shift, Gary greets me at the front door, and Bill greets me in the backyard and hands me the thermometer. Then, to the alley I go. We’re all masked up. But this isn’t about me. It’s about the men I greet.

Men who, for different reasons, need the warmth that Poverello House provides. They too, are wearing their masks. They wash and sanitize their hands. I take their temperatures and ask them several questions about COVID-19 and their current state of health. They know the routine, and joke about it. But they understand the importance of stay- ing healthy and avoiding the spread of the virus. I look at the men whom we serve, men who are at risk, yet who share the responsibility of protecting our communal public health.

As the men settle in the yard, they spread out among the picnic tables. Some read. Others listen to music or look at their phones. They eat. They shower. Some talk to each other. Some men remain silent, in contemplation or simply resting their words and minds. This is their time.
By Poverello Triage Volunteer, Ernesto Portello

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