Every Wednesday night, a group of volunteers gathers at the Waterfront to serve a meal to Louisville’s homeless. Trunks are popped open and small tables are set up with free donations of all kinds: clothing, shoes, blankets, non-perishable food items, batteries, and more. At the end of Wednesday night, the volunteers clean up the space and go to a homeless camp to give away the rest of their goods. In this bitter cold, the homeless are sometimes indistinguishable from the volunteers; everyone is wearing as much clothing as possible, everyone is shivering.
Shooting through the crowd like a ray of volatile sunshine is Christen, “Tiny” Herron, 41, founder of The Forgotten Louisville. Her hair is yellow, her smile is contagious, and she’s a hugger. People—volunteers and those they are serving—gravitate towards her like metal shavings to a horseshoe. Everyone calls her “Tiny,” but her personality is anything but: she encourages, she directs traffic, she jokes, she hugs.
LC: Tell us about yourself!
Christen “Tiny” Herron: “My real name is Christen Herron but everyone calls me ‘Tiny.’ My mom started that nickname when I was born and it has stuck…and I'm only 5'1" on a good day! I'm a triage nurse for Women First of Louisville. For fun, I'm a mom—I have three kids, 22, 15, and 13. My ‘little loves’ are my everything!”
LC: Tell us more about The Forgotten Louisville.
CTH: “The Forgotten Louisville is a group of volunteers that have a heart and burning passion for the homeless. We believe in bringing hope TO them. We do this by delivering food and supplies to them weekly. We meet them where they are, in their comfort zone or in their need, that's where we go.
The Forgotten Louisville is dedicated to providing meals and supplies to the homeless in our community. What's most important is that we offer them hope, we offer them friendship. Many times the homeless have said ‘please come back and see me even if you don't have anything to bring’ it's the fellowship and friendship that they long for. So even if our donations are low we always make it a point to meet them at their campsite or under the bridges and just spend time talking with them, seeing how the week has gone and letting them know that we care about them.
We are not an organization that asks them to come to us. We don't require forms to be filled out or proof of a need. If they ask for something and we have it, we just give it…We also try to connect the homeless with other resources in our community that may help. Many times that includes helping them make appointments for housing, sign up for benefits, making court dates, attending parenting classes, filling out applications and providing transportation. We have seen a few success stories of those who actually make it off the streets, get housing, a job, and gain custody of their children. These are the stories that make it all worth it!”
LC: How did you start this organization?
CTH: “I started doing this one-on-one with my brother over 8 years ago. We would make a few sandwiches, get a few water bottles and actually go out and look for the homeless. During the early days we made wonderful friends! We learned their stories, we learned they were human beings just like us: someone's child, someone's brother or mother. I learned that many of us are a paycheck away, a broken relationship away, a drink away from being homeless.
I knew I wanted to do more. Louisville has many resources for the homeless but those resources don't get tapped into enough. I felt like I could make a difference simply by treating others how I would want to be treated. I say it's like the buddy system. It's easy to have someone assess a need and schedule appointments, [but] if you've got a buddy, someone to hold your hand you're more than likely to keep those appointments.”
LC: What gave you such a heart for the homeless?
CTH: “I grew up being a preacher's daughter. My dad's church was in the heart of downtown Louisville. While the congregation wasn't a very large one our doors were always open and that's where I saw the need for our community even as a little girl. We would bring people in off the street, feed them, clothe them…my parents instilled in all of us children that we should treat others how we want to be treated. Now as adults all 4 of us are actively involved in outreach of some sort to the needy.
I have countless stories of what gave me such a heart for the homeless, two of which are my favorite. Several years ago I met a man in a homeless camp. I grew very close to him, we nicknamed him "Peanut Butter Bill" because he loved peanut butter cookies. He was a vet that served our country, and now he was sleeping in a tent in the woods. One night a fight broke out in their camp and Bill was hit in the head with a hatchet 13 times. We had gone to check on the camp, and learned that Bill was in the hospital. He was listed as John Doe.
Over the next several days I sat with with Bill while he was on life-support just holding his hand…I spent many hours searching for family and trying to get information through the VA. I finally found a family member in the phonebook who put me in contact with Bill's mother. I made arrangements to meet his family at the hospital. While waiting in the waiting room to take his mom back to see her son, Bill’s ex-wife became very angry and said ‘I don't know why you do this, I don't know why you're caring for him, he is not the man that you think that he is!’ I took Bill’s mother away from the waiting room and hugged her, I apologized that she had to hear his ex-wife's angry words. I told her that the woman's anger did not bother me and that it didn't matter, Bill was a human being, Bill was her son.
Later, I begin thinking, the ex-wife may be right, Bill might not be the man that I thought he was. She may have every reason to be angry with him. After all, I didn't know his past, I didn't know their history. But then I thought you know what? Bill IS the man that I thought he was. He was my friend. I didn't know his past or why she was so angry, all that didn't matter to me. The man in the hospital bed was dying. He was my friend, his past was his past and I loved him. I learned all about grace growing up in the church but in this very moment I finally ‘got it’ God didn't care about my past! He loves me right where I am, all my flaws, all my mistakes! Long story short, Bill got transferred to the VA hospital where he would remain in the rehab unit for another year until he passed away. But his family was able to gain closure and understand where and why he had been where he was. His mother never left his side and we were able to provide a little dignity to his life.
Another story is about a homeless woman who also slept in the woods off of River Road. We called her “Cherokee.” She was a rough, tough lady and her alcoholism led her to being homeless. She had a very hard exterior but by spending time with her and just sitting and talking I once again was reminded: here is someone's daughter. Each time I saw her and hugged her she would comment ‘oh you smell so good, I miss smelling so good!’ As a woman we like things like taking a bath or putting on lotion or spraying on perfume. It's the simple things that we take for granted.”
LC: Do you see common factors that lead to homelessness in Louisville?
CTH: “A variety of factors can lead to homelessness: domestic violence, addiction, poverty, mental and physical disabilities. Funding was recently cut in regards to support for those aging out of foster care so we meet 18-24 year olds who are now homeless each week. Louisville is also known as ‘a recovery Mecca,’ we have lots of drug rehab programs and many come from other states wanting to conquer their drug and alcohol addiction yet many don't complete a program so they are out on the streets. We are a large city with lots of promises for a better future and while many come here and make it, many don't. Last year approximately 8,500 people experienced homeless at some point.”
LC: Have you made friends among the people you serve?
CTH: “I definitely have made friends amongst those we serve. I get weekly phone calls or texts from them. If the weather is bad they are checking on me. If it's a holiday they are calling to wish me a happy whatever. I recently broke my leg in three different places and have been in a cast and having to use crutches or a scooter, the week after my injury my parents were hit and seriously injured by a drunk driver. The [members of the] homeless community were so concerned! [They were] calling and checking on me, inquiring about my parents, asking how they could help.
Some I've gotten super close to and have invested so much…one young man I met who aged out of foster care and was sleeping under Joe’s Crabshack, has become like a son to me. He checks in with me weekly, calls me for advice, calls me to tell me good news and sometimes we just hang out because he needs it. We met a family of four several summers back that were homeless, just this summer we were invited to their house for a cookout. These friendships are not just beneficial for them, they've enriched my life!”
LC: Do you wish people would adjust their attitudes about the homeless and homelessness?
CTH: “I really wish people would adjust their attitudes towards homelessness. That's why the education and advocacy piece are so important to me. People need to see people for who they are and not for their need or circumstances. The lady asking for money outside of the grocery store might really need that money to buy diapers and not drugs. The dirty man sitting alone on the park bench may be missing his family and could really use a friendly smile. Just because someone is homeless doesn't mean that they are a drug addict, just because someone is asking for food doesn't mean they are lazy and don't work, just because someone is sleeping in a tent in the woods doesn't mean that they like to be dirty and wear the same clothes everyday. Think of all the things you enjoy in your day to day life, a homeless person enjoys these things too, however their circumstances won't allow it.”
LC: Do you see ways in which the city of Louisville could do a better job of looking out for the homeless?
CTH: “I do feel like our city could do more for the homeless. We have lots of great programs but I don't think we utilize them like we should. I don't think it's talked about enough. I think the organizations that our city does have that offer services for the homeless need to train their employees on WHO the homeless are, and take their services to the streets. Don't just set up an office and say ‘we offer x,y, and z.’ Get to know your clients, know their struggle and hold their hand!
If you have a program that offers health screenings, don't just post a sign about it, go get them, bring them in. If your job is case management and your client misses an appointment, go look for them. If you operate a homeless outreach team, how can you not know where the homeless camps are? Like I said Louisville has lots or resources but.... The harvest is great but the workers are few. Therefore so many lives slip through the cracks. I wish more churches were open to the idea of opening their doors even if for a meal! I wish our shelters weren't so full, I wish we had more day shelters and overnight shelters throughout the city and not just downtown. I wish those working with the community would have to take classes and be retrained monthly on compassion!”
LC: How can people help The Forgotten Louisville?
CTH: People can help The Forgotten Louisville by donating needed items and monetary donations. They can donate through PayPal atdhsteeler@hotmail.com, checks can be made out to The Forgotten Louisville and mailed to 7114 Fieldridge court Louisville, KY 40291. They also can volunteer their time or sign up to cook and serve a meal. Please like our page on facebook and join the facebook group. Spreading the word is another way to help. I'd love to come and speak to your classes or churches on what and why we do what we do.
LC: What are the most-needed or most-appreciated items people can donate?
CTH: “Most items needed change a little from the cold months to the warm months. Items needed are: tents, tarps, duct tape, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, batteries (all sizes) sterno/chaffing oil, small propane tanks, propane burners, flashlights, thermal underwear, underwear (men and women) socks, hygiene products, feminine products, non perishable food items, hand/feet warmers, gloves, hats, coats, OFF bug repellent, first aid supplies and TARC tickets.”
LC: What other organizations do you partner with to help the homeless in Louisville?
CTH: “We've partnered with several other organizations. Those that help with our weekly serve are Exit 0, Fed with Faith, and My Dog Eats First. We also partner with several local churches that donate their time and resources. I've developed great relationships with Seven Counties Services, St. John Center for Homeless Men, and Louisville Coalition for the Homeless. Hope in Highview is also one of our community partners. It's another organization that I helped found. It's a monthly outreach where we pick up the homeless and bring them back to a local church, let them shower, we provide free haircuts, a close closet, food pantry and a hot meal and then we deliver them back.”
LC: How has working with the homeless in Louisville changed your life?
Christen "Tiny" Herron: “Working with the homeless has definitely changed my life for the better. It's opened my eyes to a huge need for compassion and understanding to those that are homeless. It's so easy for some of us to see a person flying a sign asking for money and turn the other way. However if you stop and think 'what caused them to be homeless?' or 'do they have a family?' then you begin to see that person as a human being.
Not only has loving and serving the homeless changed my view at how I see others it has personally given me a sense of purpose and I how view myself. I have made many mistakes in life and have made bad choices but that doesn't have to define who I am! We ALL deserve second chances. I know that I'm worth it and I just want others to know that they to are worth it too! Life hands us all hard times, it's what we do in those times that make us who we are. I feel like our society tosses people to the curb so easily.
The biggest lesson I've learned in this ministry is that love never fails and hope never gives up. I've had people tell me over and over ‘Tiny, you can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink it’ well what I have to say that is ‘what if it's the 19th trip to the water and he finally starts to drink?’”
All images courtesy of Christen "Tiny" Herron and The Forgotten Louisville.
