Have you walked the streets of our City, seen a down and out, and given a pound coin, or even walked past on the other side. When I first found out what this organisation, 'Good Organisation' is, I confess I felt something like that - not another one - but then.....
....we had three visitors to our lunch on August 4th, and they came with a refreshing view of what they called 'Invisible York'. They work with the visibly disadvantaged - those who are often invisible to us, those who are spiritually and intellectually disadvantaged, and driven to the streets, alleys, railway station and, yes, even to the shelters for the homeless and to Carecent.
Now would you take a City Tour round Heritage York with a homeless alcoholic, who is jobless? Probably not. Vicky, one of our guests is just that person, with more to come. She had cancer, and was bereaved. Quite a burden to carry' Vicky, with great courage, told us of her life, and she 'came out' for the first time to talk publicly, and before a Rotary audience. Good Organisation has re-socialised her.
Good Organisation takes some of the unsociable, and treats them as fully human beings, living with disadvantage. They've hit the media from as far apart as Russian T.V. to the BBCs Look North. They have tours which include Guy Fawkes, York's Railway Heritage etc. and have 5 star ratings. They print postcards of York from the 19th century to today encouraging photography. Would you trust a homeless person with a camera? They did, and you should see the postcards.
Good Organisation is an organisation which challenges the language which comes with both us and with the homeless, it sees them as people, as gifted people, and it takes on the difficult task of re-humanising them, enabling them to become visible.
Invisible to visible; not valued to contributing; nothing inside to a person with spirit.
David Porter
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