I was left in Indianapolis with little money and nowhere to go after I had my significant other arrested so the police took me over to the Good News Men's Rescue Mission. I arrived before check-in time so I came back during those hours. Within minutes of my arrival the director comes out to meet me, this guy had an attitude with me before I could say a word. We went to his office to do intake; and when he asked me how I ended up in Indy I showed him a copy of the police report and he said it was "immaterial" to him. He was treating me like a convicted felon, not like a victim of a crime who was in need of basic human services. And this individual is supposed to be a Christian?
Not only that, but I had a job in Bloomington I needed to get transferred to Indy as soon as possible, I alert Good News to this and they could totally care less. They told me I had to work for them for 7 days before I could leave... in essence I was being held prisoner, in other words. It was either that or sleep in the street so what other alternative did I have? Working for them entailed doing often very physical labour from 7 AM to 4PM every weekday (some of the most utterly pointless busy work ever, ergo moving snow piles from one place to another to another... And sweeping water out of potholes in the street, often times in the rain) and mandatory chapel service every night. It's not that I mind the chapel service, but I needed to get my car and settle my affairs before my psychotic ex-girlfriend got out of jail... They acted as if I said nothing.
Even when the detectives came to get my testimony, the front desk people were very uncoopertive with the officer and some of the other guys staying there had to convince him to give the Inspector the key to a private room so we could talk.
Needless to say, when these people finally let me settle my affairs it was too late. My car was destroyed and she was nowhere to be found. I have been considering holding Good News partially legally responsible for this, but I'm not sure if I can.
Good News says on its website that it provides facility for people to get their GEDs... Not true. Their only interest is in exploiting one's hard times. How is anybody supposed to look for a job or settle their affairs when they only allow you one day off, no reliable contact number (unless you have a cell, but they'll take it away if they catch you with it) and they work you nine hours a day? All this to sleep on a bench and eat donated food that is often times weeks or months past the expiry date.
And when you're finally able to get a bed, they give you this tiny little locker to put all of your things in, and you can't hang clothes beside your bed or they'll take it. Often times it's stuff they gave anyway.
These people take a pure sadistic delight in harassment and headgames. Some of their "rules" are so absurd they have to be experienced to be believed; such as not being able to turn the TV on and off or change the channel on pain of being kicked out, going to the bathroom during chapel is right out as well... Stupid petty rules abound there.
They ultimately kicked me out because my job transfer went through. Only difference then was that I was paying them $65 a week to live under these conditions. I had explained my work schedule to them no minimum of five times and yet they still took issue with my arriving back after roll call. Then they told me if I missed one more they would kick me out, so I beat them to the punch and left of my own accord... And after I had paid them in advance for rent, which I didn't get back.
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