A Friend in Need

I am the type of person that always helps out when someone needs me.

Just about two weeks ago, I helped out this girl named Shay. I bought her groceries when she didn’t have anything to eat. When I was shopping for me and my kids, I went shopping for her too.  I went to the grocery store and I told her I am going to bring her three bags back. So, I did because I felt like that she wanted me to and I was helping her out. When I told her that I’m going to bring her groceries, she was like “okay.” I helped out because I am that type of person. Later, she needed tissue, so I had to get her tissue, soap, as well. She has a job and receives child support, but it didn’t matter to me. Everyone is not the same, but after I was helping her I felt good about it because I would not like for any children or child to go hungry.

So, one day I was just testing her to see if she will help me out. So, I asked her can she bring me back some ground beef from the store, so I can cook some tacos. I remembered that she always eats at my house, so I didn’t think it was a big deal to ask her to bring back the ground beef. However, she came back from the store and told me she forgot the ground beef! I told her I didn’t need it because I had stared to cook the chicken anyway and she was like “okay.”

As I help out people, I look at it like it is a blessing. I had to tell her about it, “it is okay to help you out, but I cannot do it all the time.” She got mad and I did not care because I felt like she was using me and she knew it because she had her baby to ask me for something to eat. What I did was fix her baby something to eat at my house. Shay asked why didn’t I send it downstairs to her house and I told her I only looked out for the baby. And she got mad. So, now she doesn’t talk to me or call me. However, the important thing is that I felt good all the times when help her out.    

Nakevia

My Best Friend Jennifer

In November 1999, I started a new job at Bally’s Total Fitness. I worked the front desk as a receptionist, swiping all the customers into the club, and answering the phones. So, one day a customer came into the club. We were laughing and talking about shopping. We hit it off well and quickly became good friends.  We are very similar both of us are nice and loving people. After a while, I met her family and she met mine.

We did almost everything together; we went to dinner once a week to Baker’s Square. We ate the same thing every time. We had pasta, French fries, and apple pie a la mode. We would go shopping on our days off. What is great about my friend is if I did not have enough money she would pay for my purchase. And that is how it went, she never asked me to pay it back. I can remember calling her one day to ask if she could loan me fifty dollars for my light bill and she gave it to me and she would always tell me don’t worry about it. So, when she calls me for anything, I go and do it, even now. And guess what? She is my cat’s godmother!

We still see each other, but not as much since I’ve moved to the city. She still lives in Evanston in my old apartment. We talk almost every day on the phone. Over the years, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we always made up and started talking again.

Recently, we had gone a while without talking. Then she called me in December and said she needed to tell me something important. So, I said, “tell me what is it?”

She said, “I am having a baby.”

So, I said, “No! You’re lying!”

Her reply was, “Yes, I am having a baby!”

So, I asked “How far along are you?”

She said, “three months.”

I am excited for her because she will be a great mother. She is a really great friend also. Jennifer is my best friend we have laughed together, cried together and I wouldn’t change that at all. If you have a best friend hold on to them, because a good friend is hard to find these days and make sure you tell them you love them and mean it.

Gloria

A True Best Friend

One of my best friends that I have known all of my life is Mandy. We met up in kindergarten and started talking to each other and playing with one another. Ever since then, we became best friends. We stayed in the same building together. We were always going outside with each other and going up to each others house to play together.  

Ever since then, every time we went to another grade we were in the same class together. Every grade we passed up until we got grown and we still talk to one another, hang out with each other, we watch each other kids for each other. Whenever we need a favor from one another -- if she got it she will give it to me and if I got it I will give it to her.

When I was about 23, she let me stay with her because I didn’t have a place. I stayed with her and her mother. Everywhere they moved, I moved with them. And now, if she needed a place to go, she knows she always welcome into my house and she can stay as long as she wants. I will never tell her to move because she never told me I had to go. She said I could stay as long as I wanted.

One of the reason she is a good friend is because she is truthful and speaks her mind about how she feels. She doesn’t hold it in. Another reason why I say she is a good friend is she has a good heart.  Anytime you need her for something, like moving in with her or asking for money, if you don’t have it she will help you. If you are her friend she will let you move in with her or let you borrow the money because she doesn’t want her friends to be out in the street like that or without any money. If she has to borrow from one of her relatives, she will, just to give it to you. That’s why I say she has a good heart.

Another reason I say she is a good friend is because she is kind. She will give the world to her friends if she has it and she won’t let anyone talk about them either. Another reason why I say she is generous is because if I told her I was getting put out of my apartment, she would come and rescue me and take me into her apartment. If she didn’t have any room she would take me to her mother’s house and ask her mother if I could stay there with her. She wouldn’t leave me in the street or nothing. She will ask around until I found another apartment or somewhere else to go.

Mandy came to my house the other day to come and see me. We sat in the house for a little while and she ate and then we went outside together we rode around for a little while. We still go out to places -- like taking our kids out to the park or other places like Chuck E Cheese or we will find a babysitter and we will just go out and have fun with one another.

The last time I saw her was last week. She came over to my house to spend time with me because we haven’t seen each other for a while, but we still talk on the phone.

What someone can learn from my experience of being her friend is that she is a good friend of mine and she is nice and sweet. It is important to have good friends because they will always be there when you need them.

Takeya

Wonderful Christmas Day with my Family

On Christmas day, I woke my daughter Latange up and watched her open her gifts. She had received nine baby dolls, some clothes, P.Js, and much more. We played all day listening to Christmas music, playing games, and watching Christmas movies. I watched to see how she felt about what she got for Christmas. I had to save money to get her presents, and it was not easy. It was difficult because I had to pay the phone bill and also needed to save money to move to a new place. But I did it and that made me feel happy. I felt good about myself because she knows that I care about her.

About 2pm, I went to my Auntie’s house and helped cook Christmas dinner for the rest of my family. I cooked some greens, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes and much more…  We talked about the old days when we lived in the old Rockwell Gardens building and we all had fun. It made me happy that all my family was here with me and cared about me. I will never forget this Christmas!

Brenda

Helping Others in Their Time of Need

As I was on my way to an appointment that I had, I began to travel on the Madison bus when I saw and heard a guy talking about a situation that he was going through. He was saying that he stayed in a homeless shelter and the people in there had stolen some of his personal belongings. As the guy was talking, I noticed that his hand looked like they were freezing cold. I decided to give him my gloves. He asks me was I sure I wanted to give him my gloves? I told him, “Its ok. I have another pair at home.” He was very happy that I gave him the gloves.

While I was on the bus he started talking to me about more personal problems that he was going through, like not being able to see his kids and not having a place of his own. While he was talking about his problems, I was starting to fade away, to do a silent pray for him and the situation he is going through. Hearing about his situation made me think about when I was homeless in the cold not having a place to go to get warm. It made me felt misable and like nobody wanted me around. That made me start thinking about when I get back on my feet what I was going to do to try not to be homeless again.

Being able to give him the gloves, which wasn’t much, made me feel good that I was able to help someone to take care of themselves in their time of need. Helping others in their time of need is good because you don’t know when you might need help from others in your time of need. Because what you give to someone, even something as little as gloves, might be a whole lot to that person.

Derrick

Helping a Friend in Need

When I moved on the north side of Chicago, I found out one of my friends that I had gone to high school with was staying in the building next door to me. We became friends again. We started catching up on what things we had going on in our lives.

She had two kids, like me, and was a single mom like me too. It was nice having someone to talk to because I’m not a real big people person. I don’t really hang out anymore because I have two kids. But she would always need me for something. Sometimes it was food, money or something for the kids, but it made me feel good when I could help her and the kids, because I know where I have been. On the other hand, I would never ask her for anything, because I really didn’t need to.

I have a good heart and I only did what God would want us to do; help one another when we can. I’m a single mom. We are still neighbors to this day and I still try to help when I can. God said, “help people when you can and you will be blessed.” 

Nakeya

Christmas

A few days after Christmas, I bought clothes and shoes for my nieces and nephews. I did it to be nice, because my sister lost her money. She lost her money at Walmart so her kids didn’t have anything for Christmas. I went to the mall, and they had good sales. I found boots and clothes for the kids. They were happy! I was happy to help them have a good Christmas.

Nichole