Sadly, I was not able to take Kenny's picture. I know he would have let me, but I simply forgot to ask during our conversation. When I looked for him later, I couldn't find him. Poor planning on my part and I apologize for that. To give a visual impression, Kenny is a tall, middle-aged black gentleman. He had gray and black curly hair. While his height made him physically imposing, his face and manner were very gentle and kind.
Kenny is originally from Louisiana, just outside of Baton Rouge. He grew up poor in the country as one of nine siblings. He never married and he says, "I don't know if I got any kids." He pauses before chuckling. "That's the truth!" He worked offshore for the Shell Oil company in Louisiana for fifteen years before moving to Fort Worth in 1991. When he arrived, he noticed that "a lot of the industries around here was closed up." The lack of work coupled with his drinking habit led him to the streets where he's been, off and on, for fifteen years.
Beautiful Feet Ministries has helped him get back on his feet and stop drinking. "I used to be a terrible drinker at one time. There was a bar called Bucket of Blood over on Hattie St... I got out of the bar one night and went to the parking lot. These guys tried to rob me and they were beating me up. They was kickin' me and punchin' me. I was dead drunk, but I remember them beating me up. Reverend Mike [the leader of Beautiful Feet] and them would go out and preach street ministry on Friday night. They had just gotten a white van... looks like a police van. They pull up, they had the big light shining like the police. All the guys thought they was the police and they ran. That's when Beautiful Feet picked me up and threw me into Detox... [Beautiful Feet] is a real good thing. I do what I can to help them."
Elaborating on Beautiful Feet Ministries, Kenny says, "The majority of the people that come here. Most of them are just down on their luck. Some are alcoholics, some drug addicts, lot of people have apartments, but it's the end of the month now. All the aid people get from the government, that's run out now. We're very dependent on places like this to make it from day to day." Kenneth says everyone's welcome here, "as long as you're not too crazy. Most of the people I know appreciate [Beautiful Feet], but then you got some that... it don't matter what you do for 'em, they ain't gonna appreciate it!"
When asked what he's learned from sleeping on the streets, he replied, "You learn a lot of different ways of doing things. Let's just say, you have to make twenty dollars and make it last until the next week. Tell me that ain't stretching it!" he laughs. "I've known a lot of different people out here. They lose their job, they lose their apartment, then you start living in a car. You lose your car 'cause you ain't got nothin', the next thing you know, you're homeless.... Things just happen in life. You don't know why, I don't know why. Accept it and keep going."
He continues, "With my little experience, it's been the younger generation coming out and being homeless. They can't find any work. Who knows where it's going to end, I have no idea. This economy as bad as it is, it hurts everybody. It hurts the homeless even more because they don't have the access to go find this job or that job. Everybody has a different story, different reasons for being here."
For him, shelter is the most difficult commodity to obtain. He says that if he got a job, he would seek out an apartment. "Absolutely, that would be the first thing." For now, he sleeps anywhere he can find shelter. "I get away from everybody so I don't have to worry about it. The farther out you get, the better you are, especially if you're by yourself."
For all the troubles that come with being homeless, Kenny has accepted this way of life for now. "When you're out here, not knowing what you're gonna do the next day is a trip. Something comes your way, you just do it. If it don't, you just thank God you're livin' and keep on going."
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