by Corey Jones (Chaplain Intern)
Spring is the season of hope and rebirth. As Atlanta warms up from the winter, the 
hope in our hearts starts to warm up, too. New daffodil and daisy blooms remind us that
there are still new opportunities for us to discover. Many of these new and hopeful
opportunities can be found here at Central OAC.
As a chaplain intern, I spend time during my shifts focusing on the inspiring spiritual
stories I hear from our guests, even while I fill out forms and hand out snacks. I hear so
many stories of hope, but I would like to highlight one from guest Cory Crawford. (He
gave me his permission to tell his name and his story.)
First, we connected over our similar names, and then I started asking him questions
during the intake process. I was hesitant to ask questions that seemed way too
personal, but I was rewarded with a story of hope. When I asked him if he was on
parole for a felony, he replied, “I did fifteen, and I’ve been home twenty. I’m so glad
those days are behind me.”
I told him that his story might offer some hope to others. Did he have a message he
wanted to impart to the younger men and women waiting in the lobby and on the
streets? He said he did:
“Make better choices and better decisions because you are responsible for your
choices. You can’t blame other people. Don’t be a knucklehead! Surround
yourself with positive people. Stay hopeful – there’s a positive day ahead. Look forward;
don’t look back. Don’t beat yourself up for past mistakes.”
We chuckled, finished out the form, and hugged. Mr. Crawford’s hope-filled words
were words I needed to hear myself; perhaps you needed them, too! This Spring, don’t
be a knucklehead, but follow Mr. Crawford’s advice to stay hopeful instead. As I always
say, “hope is real!”