03/26/2025
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I feel itโs necessary to explain my motive behind starting the Shoebox Ministry. In one word, it was my DAD. I grew up very middle class. We werenโt rich but we werenโt poor either. My Dad was a Yard Master for the railroad and spent 40 years doing just that. He always worked 2nd shift and sometimes came home from work with a โhoboโ from the railroad yards. Dad would set up his Army cot and blankets in the basement recreation room for his guest hobo. Dad would show him to the shower and then wash his clothes for him. In the morning Dad would make a hearty breakfast for him and Mom would pack a generous lunch for him. When Dad went back to work in the afternoon, he would take his new friend back to the railroad yards all fresh and clean and well fed. The hobo would jump the next train heading in whatever direction he was interested in. This happened often and one time he brought home the King of the Hobos! The title was bestowed on him by many other hobos when they had their annual get together. Every kid in the neighborhood came to our yard to meet him and have a picture taken with him. Seventy years later I still have my picture of him!
This was my Dad, always reaching out to help someone else. On his days off he would drive into the St. Paul Union Gospel Mission to hire a homeless person for the day. That person would mow the lawn or sweep up Dadโs wood working shop or any other small chore that Dad had. Dad would normally do all these chores himself, but he just wanted to be able to pay someone in need. He really was the man that took off his jacket and gave it to someone else.
My Mom won an electric stove in a Girl Scout lottery. Dad took it to Minneapolis and installed it in the home of an elderly woman who was still using an old wood burning stove.
This was Dad. He was always kind and generous and helped others in so many ways. He was very healthy and fit and looked and acted 20 years younger than he was. When he was 66 years old, he was not feeling very well, and his doctor could not find the reason. After 5 months his brother (and best friend) took him to the Mayo Clinic. He was diagnosed with Leukemia and told he had about 4 months to live. He chose to return with me to Arizona for his last 3 ยฝ months at the age of 66 in 1986. In 1988 I decided to quit working and find meaningful volunteer work. Because of my Dad I chose to work with the homeless. After a few phone calls, I found that the homeless did not have access to personal hygiene items. Thatโs when and why the Shoebox Ministry was born. With overall support and help from many people over our 37 years, we helped tens of thousands of homeless and near homeless folks. Had Dad lived, he would have been involved every day and would have wanted to shake hands with every one of them and probably many hugs too. I feel like he was a part of Shoebox Ministry as much as I was.
