Hands of HIPS
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"I would love to pursue my career in art, whether it’s being a freelance artist or fashion designer or fashion illustrator. But the challenges have been so hard, because not only am I of color, but I'm trans, and then I'm educated... Me being transgender is a part of me. It’s not who I am, it’s just a part of who I am. It’s a very crucial part of who I am, but there's more to me than just the fact that I'm a transgender woman. And in society going to job interviews and stuff like that it’s really been hard for people to overlook that aspect of it, and to see my qualifications and my history and be like okay, you’re a great fit or I’m going to give you a chance. Like I’ve went to interviews where people… over the phone they’re so enthusiastic about meeting you and they want to meet you and then when you do come in and you meet them, it’s like uh... And it’s been like that with companies after companies after companies."
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"HIPS is a place that gives people chances. And I am a prime candidate, you know, I should have been a poster child for ‘em. Because I mean really I’ve come a long way with my addiction, homelessness, and everything, and to be where I’m at today, it’s because of HIPS. It really is. HIPS gives me... when I wake up in the morning, I look forward to coming here. When I don’t make it here, my whole day is discombobulated. Because I mean this is like, this is my second home. Yeah, you know what I’m saying, so I just love HIPS."
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"You know it’s just a piece of bread and peanut butter and jelly. That’s a feeling that I don’t think anybody could really express, because you know you’re hungry, and one client says, 'You know what, I haven’t eaten.' But he says, 'I know, when I come to you, you going to feed me.' And I looked, and I said, 'How do you know?' And he said, 'Because you always feed me.' It brings tears to your eyes, you know? 'I mean I can go all day,' he says, 'I can bum money and beg,' he says, 'But when I just make it to you Ms. Jones, and get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you just make my day Ms. Jones.'
And I’m standing there making him a sandwich in there like okay, don’t make me cry because I’m wearing all my makeup. You know, I’m standing here making a sandwich and he’s standing there in the doorway, he’s telling me all of this and I’m thinking you know what, I have no makeup here, I wear tons of makeup, I wear tons of makeup and he’s gonna make my makeup run... This is it. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something that we take for granted. And you know I haven’t eaten peanut butter in many many years. The things that we take for granted! Having clean clothes. Food to eat. A shower to take. We gonna take a shower all day if we want to. We could eat peanut butter all day long if we want to. But these people, this is their gift. This is their Christmas year round. That makes me feel good." "We’re all going to fall, we’re all going to fall down. And the thing about HIPS is that we can fall down a million and one times, it’s okay, we’re not gonna judge you. I have people come here now, and they say, 'Well you know Ms. Jones, I want to come back.' And I say, 'Well why not come in?' 'Because you all helped me and I didn’t do what you wanted me to do.' I say, 'Well come back, we still gonna help you again.' And they come back. So I tell you, 'We’re not going to judge you. It’s okay to fall. It’s okay to fall, it’s okay to stumble. But we’re gonna help you. I don’t care if I have to give you a referral a hundred and ten times. We’re going to help you.' And they come back. And they say, 'Oh you know what, I didn’t keep my appointment because I relapsed.' I’m not going to throw stones at you, I’m going to help you again. Come back. And they come back. They come back."
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