At the Atlanta Recovery Center, men move in for a small fee and work to try and get their lives back on track. Unlike many shelters, it does not offer counseling or tutoring services — it is solely a roof over their heads. These men come from all walks of life and all types of personal situations have forced them to seek refuge at the Recovery Center.
“Some of these guys sort of come in, stay for a couple of nights, and you never see them again,” says Walter Williams, a clerk at the center. “And then you have some that come in and stay for a year—it really depends on the situation.” Williams has seen every type of individual come into the shelter and has learned to stop thinking of homelessness in stereotypical terms. “Many of these guys are smart, educated, hard workers,” he shares. “They just needed some time to get their lives worked out, so they move in here, stay for a little while for a small fee and work to save some money. I’ve seen men leave here and start their own businesses.”
The Center serves as a reminder that not everyone without an address is a vagrant, and some of these men come here when they’ve first moved to the city and are looking to find work. “You have to be mindful of how you treat people that are on the bottom,” says Williams. “Tyler Perry started in these same shelters. You never know what someone’s situation is and you have to understand that not everybody here is going to stay here.” The men don’t socialize much as they pass in the hallways, and there are some who are definitely worse off than others. Some men just stay for a few days to avoid sleeping on the streets, and some, as Williams explained, are just working their way out of a tough — but temporary — situation. Only time can truly tell the difference. “I’m just happy to be able to play a part in somebody getting back on their feet,” he says. “But when you walk through these doors, you have to understand — I can’t save you. You get out of this opportunity what you put into it.”
– todd williams
