On a blustery winter day, standing in a motel parking lot off I-95, we were handing out warm breakfast sandwiches and bagged lunches to both familiar and new friends. I noticed a young man with a cane standing back a bit, quietly and shyly. He was just watching. There were actually a lot of men and women out that morning, eagerly accepting food, coats, hats, gloves, socks, toiletries and more. As we talked, we learned new names, listened to stories, and built relationships. ‘So as food and conversations continued, I kept my eye on the hesitant guy who continued to hang back. When there was a break in conversation, I walked closer to the young man and asked if he was hungry, if he’ds like some food. He looked down at the pavement and spoke quietly. I couldn’t hear his response, so I took a few steps closer and asked again. Quietly, he responded that he wasn’t in the program. Hmmm…I had no idea what he meant. As we continued to talk, he shared that he had been turned down for a meal from another group handing out food earlier that morning. We gladly shared a lunch with him. As the months have gone on, we’ve seen Joe a couple of times each week. We have learned quite a bit about his story, and are currently trying to help him with networking and resources to move forward. He tells us we are his family.