Rocky Rodriguez has been homeless for two years after getting evicted from his apartment following a fight with a neighbor.
“I’ve been trying to bounce back ever since,” he said. “But it’s a very hard process.”
On Wednesday, the 38-year-old said he felt like he finally was “bouncing back.”
The arborist on disability was one of at least 40 people who were served Christmas dinner by a few volunteers and shelter workers at Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission Men’s Shelter near downtown Toledo.
“The food here is great, but it’s not about the food,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “It’s about the assistance and the hope and just the overall atmosphere of the place, because I don’t necessarily feel like I’m a burden on society here.”
He said the place also makes him feel like he is with family.
As he spoke, about 20 people sat at dinner tables, mostly focusing on their food while others looked around or called out at acquaintances. Still others waited to pick up their plates at the kitchen serving counter.