Join us for a powerful conversation with Bill Hardman, a staff member at Church at the Park’s family shelter site in Salem, Oregon. Bill shares his journey through decades of addiction, repeated incarceration, and homelessness, offering an inside look at the challenges faced by many in his community. With honesty and humor, Bill reflects on the vital role of trust, support, and consistency in healing, and how building relationships in safe spaces helped him find stability and joy after years of hardship.

Bill’s story is one of resilience and hope—reminding us that transformation is possible at any stage of life, especially when people feel seen, accepted, and empowered to write new chapters for themselves. Whether he’s cracking jokes, mentoring younger shelter guests, or simply holding a baby so a parent can take a breath, Bill exemplifies the compassion and honesty that can change lives.

Tune in for lessons on recovery, generational trauma, accountability, and the unique power of genuine connection.

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Patrick Geier, a participant in Salem’s Safe Parking program. Patrick and his wife, Chantel, journeyed to Salem in search of stability after a lifetime of upheaval and hardship, including years of homelessness. With characteristic honesty and resilience, Patrick bravely details his childhood in Lubbock, Texas, marked by family trauma and constant relocation, and how these experiences shaped his ability to persevere through dire circumstances.

Patrick opens up about the deep impact of his relationship with Chantel, the healing presence of community, and the transformative support provided by programs like Safe Parking. He shares candidly about overcoming addiction, his ongoing commitment to helping others, and his determination to build a better future. Along the way, Patrick challenges stereotypes about homelessness, emphasizing the importance of compassion, agency, and the distinction between a "handout" and a "hand up."

Join us as Patrick’s story dispels myths and delivers hard-won wisdom about hope, resilience, and the value of believing in a better tomorrow.

In this powerful episode of "The Humanity of Homelessness," we sit down with Aurora Granado, a single mother of five whose story is a testament to resilience, faith, and transformation. Aurora shares her journey through two experiences of homelessness, her path to recovery from addiction, and how finding her faith became the cornerstone of rebuilding her life.

From a childhood marked by foster care and instability to becoming a mother determined to break generational cycles, Aurora's story reveals both the complex factors that can lead to homelessness and the profound impact of community support. Now a participant in Church at the Park's family shelter program, Aurora is preparing to start a new job at Amazon and dreams of opening her own caregiving facility to serve elderly community members with dignity and love.

Throughout our conversation, Aurora's infectious positivity and deep spiritual conviction shine through as she discusses how her relationship with God has given her a new identity and purpose. Her wisdom about the temporary nature of difficult circumstances and her commitment to helping others make this episode both inspiring and instructive for anyone seeking hope in hard places.

This episode offers valuable insights into the realities of homelessness, the importance of wraparound services, and the transformative power of faith and community support.