St. Benedict’s new library shelving source of hope, encouragement

February 28, 2019 | 3:13 am

Updated February 27, 2019 | 10:22 pm

Johnny Ford stands with the newly installed library shelving at St. Benedict's. | Photo by AP Imagery

The bare wall that used to frame the inside of St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter is now lined with newly-installed wooden bookshelves. Thanks in part to a generous grant written through the Daviess County Rotary and materials and labor from Phill’s Custom Cabinets, the men at the shelter received access to four full bookcases of books as well as three study areas on Saturday.

St. Benedict’s Executive Director Harry Pedigo said the Daviess County Rotary approached him several months ago asking what they could do to help the shelter.

“They had asked what they could do and then they contacted me and said they had the opportunity to write a grant,” Pedigo said. “I provided them with all of the information and they wrote it on behalf of the local rotary. Then we just kind of all worked together with Phill’s Custom Cabinets and it just all came together.”

Like every project Pedigo does, his main concern is always to ensure he has the best interest of his guys at heart. And, in this case, the residents were incredibly pleased with the result.

Photo by AP Imagery

“It feels really good,” said Johnny Ford, who has been at St. Benedict’s for about 13 months. “It just changed the whole atmosphere of the place. It was just a blank wall — now it’s filled with self-help books and history novels.”

Ford said the shelter did have one small bookcase that was about waist-high in front of the volunteer desk, but that the new shelving has already “drawn a lot of guys over there.”

“Instead of just coming in eating, and laying down they can read, especially the self-help books,” Ford repeated. “When you wind up homeless, you just reach out and grab for whatever you can, to try to find hope in something — maybe find some encouragement.”

While Ford said the guys do look for daily doses of encouragement, they are also always aware that someone cares about them.

“Harry had that [the bookcases] ordered and installed,” Ford said. “The very same day, they had it stocked up with books and stuff. He really cares about us to do that. He’s special — he just loves people.”

Pedigo said, with part of the grant, the rotary was able to buy new books and some subscriptions for new magazines. So they surveyed the guys and found that self-help, spiritual, DIY, entertainment and fiction were the most popular requests for reading material.

“I just think it’s a wonderful addition,” Ford said. “We’ve also got three computers he’s gonna have installed so the guys can get on computers too. It’s still a work in progress.”

For those residents that might struggle with reading, Ford said he would be happy to volunteer.

“There was a guy that had a chair this morning just looking through them [the books],” Ford said. “May be some guys that can’t read — I’d be glad to read to somebody — I’ve done it before. That’s something I can do is I can read and write pretty good.”

After Ford lost his main source of income, he said he began “working odd jobs here and there” to make ends meet. Then he said he found a good paying job working outdoors with a builder, until last April, when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle.

Although Ford has had surgery on his neck and is still undergoing physical therapy on his knee, he is also employed — at St. Benedict’s as a live-in maintenance worker.

“He has been an inspiration to all of us,” Pedigo said. “It’s very unique for us to have a live-in staff member.”

February 28, 2019 | 3:13 am

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