The Positive Voices

On days when you are feeling down or discouraged, stop into Dégagé Ministries and look for Zach. You will find him smiling and laughing, most likely playing a game of dominos in the dining room or doing laundry in the Life Enrichment Center. A man who has overcome many obstacles, Zach is an inspiration to all of us. In the midst of life’s challenges – homelessness, physical disabilities, loss of custody of his son – he has remained positive. His optimistic spirit, along with some help from his friends at Dégagé, have helped bring him to a better place and we are all excited to see what God will do next. Here is Zach’s Story: Camaraderie I have basically been a resident of Heartside off and on for the last 10 or 11 years. I enjoy coming to Dégagé. You meet some nice people down here, very nice people. There is camaraderie – everyone you meet down here, they all have their own different story. But if you look at it another way, everyone is the same. I consider myself a friend to everyone around here. A Part of His Life I come to Dégagé every day to use the Life Enrichment Center and dining room. When I was homeless I used to take showers in the Life Enrichment Center. I still do laundry there – it is the cheapest place to wash your things. I like the people on the Life Enrichment Center floor. They seem to bring a little laughter to my life every day. I can come up here and someone always makes me want to laugh and be funny. Through my time coming to the Life Enrichment Center they helped me find an apartment. They helped me with a lot of paperwork too. They also keep me in line! I find this to truly be a place that enriches your life. Without it, people would be more lost than they are now. Future Plans Most of all, my future plans involve getting my son back. I have been trying to get custody of him and have had to jump through a lot of hoops. I have done all they ask of me and it will be worth it in the end. That wouldn’t be possible without the help of Dégagé . Now that I have my own place, I can move forward with my life. Helping In Return I also help do cleaning jobs most days (Dégagé Dollar Program). I find it fun to help out. It is a challenge to volunteer my time in the kitchen or do a chore. Everyone thinks I can’t do anything because I ride around in a scooter (motorized wheelchair), but I like doing clean-ing. It helps me feel like I am more useful. Thank you The staff at Dégagé are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. I have seen some hard core people here and Dégagé Min-istries seems to soften the blow about anything that goes on with you. The overall staff of Dé-gagé – from the maintenance man to the direc-tor – they are the right people to have in your corner and I appreciate them very much. That is why I continue to come down here. I will always come here. If I hit the million dollar lottery, I would still come. I would like to thank those who donate food and items to Dégagé and the volunteers who donate their time even though I know they don’t have to, but they do it out of the good-ness of their heart. From all of us that frequent Dégagé, I say thank you.