Bruce Hopson and Joshua Hearne

00:08 My name is Bruce Hopson. My age is 16 years old today's date is April 21st, 2016. We are in Danville, Virginia.

00:22 My relationship to my partner is free and Mentor religious advisor.

00:30 Family actually

00:34 My name is Joshua Hearne. I am 32 years old. Today's date is April 21st. 2016 location is Danville, Virginia and my relationship to Bruce's friend and colleague and Community member here in Danville.

00:59 Show Bruce, we're both part of Grace and Main Fellowship an intentional Christian Community here in Danville. How did you first encounter? I mean, I was around Grayson man a little bit before you how did you first encounter us?

01:17 Lady Joanne Davis took me off the street when I was living on the street and one of the members of Grace and Main used to come around and bring lunches and sit on the porch and play guitar with it. One of the other guys that are there and

01:34 He kept coming around like twice a week and said then I can I was wondering why that it was obviously a really nice guy and I wonder why he spent time with a couple of Alcoholics and then when I finally get to come to a place in my email, I never stopped coming. I saw the love and

01:57 And genuine concern about people when I just I guess I'll always be a member for some reason I guess. I remember distinctly the night you first came to let me know cuz I remember we could have pestered you about coming to the meal and eventually you showed up I think cuz we just kept asking and at but I remember the look of I guess you'd caught overwhelmed in your eyes that first night. It was, you know, a lot of folks showing up to eat dinner in one of the houses. I think when you first try to come and we were having

02:37 30 people over for dinner once a week and the thing that I remember first about you was

02:47 Newfound new spaces for tables and chairs in one of those rooms before I would that none of us could really figure out you were able to figure out how we could fit one more table and eight more chairs into our dinner Arrangement you remember anything about those first meals, I do that a lot about him and I remember my first assignment was sitting up tables and chairs and get them off after the meal. That's when I started feeling like I really belong to the group.

03:15 We really enjoyed those meals. I know there was a family in particular that you could have connected with that made a big difference do can I say something about that? Yes, I would the family is Robinson family and

03:36 I really couldn't believe that actually sit down and talk to the wife the whole meal and I couldn't believe that she actually took the time to sit down and really get to know me in because obviously you know that they were

03:54 In my eyes are better than me and but they are wonderful people. I remember they invited me to Christmas the first year. I met him with the whole family and I thought like I got a thousand excuses not to go. I won't be long and I won't be welcomed but I went and from that point on our relationship Better Built and I work for him the whole first summer. They had just bought a house and it is a bunch of work and I work for me really got to know that whole family that first summer. It was probably the best time of my life.

04:33 And we still keep in touch and Christmas cards and birthdays and

04:38 I remember when the Robinsons left when they they moved away for a job opportunity in Oklahoma that I remember that the

04:52 That for the last dance recital the piano recital was the last piano recital. You're the one who got the invitation right of all the Capri in the whole Community know that dozens of people you got the invitation and it was you have the opportunity to let people know about the recital because that that relationship had just

05:15 Blossom right like that was it wasn't just about

05:19 I'm trying to be nice to you. It was when I genuinely loved you and you genuinely love them and

05:27 I don't know. I think I remember looking at that and thinking I know this is it was proof to me that this community thing works right? Let it that it's and it's really is as powerful as we like to say it is what the hell? What do you think about what it was about the Robinsons that made them that made that relationship just kind of Blossom

05:54 The love I saw in the honesty.

05:59 The truth shall Mama hard person to trust people. I didn't know.

06:06 Feel accepted and places that you know, I am not used to going on and they just made me feel welcomed and loved and kind of special actually.

06:19 I know that they love me and I love me on me.

06:24 And hopefully I'll get to see him the summer head on down to South Carolina.

06:30 See the Robinsons. I think you'll have to make sure none of us sneak down there in the trunk with you.

06:39 Well, let's go back guy. You talked about Joe and what can you tell me about Joanne and Joanne's house and and those early days but also like what grew out of it.

06:52 The early days was

06:56 Just just showed up delayed took me off the street. I was living on the street drunk everyday and she welcomed me into her home and treated me like family.

07:10 Once I was there in the trust got established in the law.

07:16 It was two other people that were homeless before staying there and one of the ladies she she got killed in that Linda and

07:25 She had an idea for your breakfast the Wednesday morning breakfast and I was skeptical but supportive at first and then it Gru's is a few. Clean after I got clean clean. I say Joanne is also responsible for me getting clean. I got sick and I wouldn't go to the hospital and she come back out one morning. I was sitting on the porch and she said you were going to the hospital. And of course she want and I went to the hospital and

07:57 I say for like a week and Beatties and all the time you got to do with it and I made a promise that if

08:05 I will try my best not to drink again and it's been four and a half years and the the breakfast got started the lunches were mostly their coffee and snacks in the morning in the winter time cold drinks and snack in the summer time everyday.

08:25 A tool Library where people can come and borrow tubes and young people that don't actually can't afford Tools in but can't find on working stuff and it just kept growing and people kept donating tools and people got interested in it and it just grew and it was just so many good things that come out of Joanne's house because of her love other people. She was one of the most unselfish people I've ever met.

08:57 She didn't think anything about herself. It was always somebody else for girls our grandkids somebody else and she she love the people that stay in her house and

09:08 Almost two years ago. Now she she passed away to Haase.

09:18 Joanne Davis was the lady that took me off the street. I met her her and her husband power moving into the house that I actually ended up staying here and I had known Paul from jail. He saw me sitting on the porch and he wanted me to help him move and it started slow. They let me stay in there to share. It was actually just old Bond, so I wouldn't be arrested for public drunkenness more and after a few weeks. They let me move into the house.

09:56 She took me in.

09:58 I don't know a friend of the community out of north side of town. She made it possible for two good things to happen.

10:10 I didn't know the lady at all. I never met her. I feel like I should be talking to her. I'm sorry. She was just a wonderful lady that had a heart.

10:23 All the love and she loves people she took about while I was there about five people into her home.

10:32 And put up with all the stuff that she had to put up with her and loved every minute of it.

10:38 And and you know through the through the love in the hospitality of Joanne and through the wider Community you and Grace and Main with it. We saw a lot of good God Blossom out of that that space right. That house became sort of the center for a lot of

10:58 Good work in the neighborhood and we were talking about the putting out the cool and hot drinks and snacks and such. But what about the breakfast?

11:10 All the breakfast started out the first week. I won't forget the first week of breakfasts. We had eight people.

11:18 And remember what you're served.

11:22 Sausage scrambled eggs grits and toast, I believe it was eight people and by the end of the timer thing happened at JoAnn passed away. We was getting I reckon was 83 people for breakfast, but we can't we had sixty or so, I remember every with the breakfast one of the one of the great things that there wasn't a lot of seating was just out of a house on the the street. And of course, there's the Portugal to sit on the porch and sit on the sidewalk and the curb and but when you have 80 people come over for eggs and bacon grits and oatmeal,

12:16 Some folks were taken go home and and or find another place to sit but but you're going to have a porch full and a sidewalk falling and folks would just drive by cuz you not North Main Streets not displaying a traffic people just drive by and cut a rubber nectar to see all these folks just sort of sitting out having a really good breakfast, right? I remember that was the thing that stuck with me the most of the breakfast was that if I were going to do a breakfast for 80 people and be like a half a nutri-grain bar and a glass of milk, like it wouldn't like it would not so much work to do a big breakfast but getting up and you and and and the crew getting up at 4 in the morning to start making

12:59 Sausage and scrambled eggs and

13:04 Be nice when you're cooking for 60 it's intended for me. Alright, but but it was all it was also just as powerful kind of sense of community when you when you drive down the street and you see lots of different folks just sitting in the grass and eating bacon and eggs.

13:24 Yeah, we did get we got up early and we did not unusual to do 140 pancakes r180 eggs and 5 lb of oatmeal and honey, 50 pieces of toast, whatever but a lot of a lot of good you come out of that house, so

13:44 We had breakfast and people would you like to talk and communicate and get to know one another and also happened over the coffee pot in people with stand around the coffee pot and drink coffee and carry on conversations and not only that.

14:03 We started cleaning up other people's yards that couldn't.

14:08 Pay for it or whatever didn't have alarm or whatever and that Community started cleaning up. A lot of people took pride in their yard and they took pride in the community plant and garden show.

14:23 And Gracie 19 actually gave tomato plants and built planter boxes and stuff to people that want to know.

14:35 When you say coffee, but you mean the one that was out by the road why you want to send on the table out by the road every morning somewhere about that.

14:43 You know that they won't know what to do. I know that works. Amount, but I had this commercial coffee makers.

14:50 30 cups of ice and ended up getting two of them and during the cold parts of the winter. It was not unusual to go through three or four coffee pot today and 50 lb of sugar we can you no to drugs and coffee and it just grew and grew in it, but it was a focal point for people jumped to me and agree and to get to Nina and I went really well is

15:23 A poor area and there's a lot of

15:28 Drug and alcohol abuse in but people come together and and you know, that's one thing that really surprised me about Gracie may not nothing with her. It's not only people like me there Street people, but it's people with that doctors and teachers and

15:47 United people from all walks of life jet that get together and actually care about each other working and living together and all working and living together and trying to function together and live together and learn how to live like a family and

16:05 Big family of your own choosing my ass. That's what I always seem to think of it as

16:14 I remember that the coffee pot became sort of a a flag in the neighborhood. It was inevitably when I was out and about and talking about what we're doing or trying to find support and that kind of thing people would ask. Do you know who's doing that when I drive up North Main Street? I see a big coffee pot by the road. You know, who does that to us at Cena? We're doing the coffee pot and and and that's not it at we're doing a lot more than just a thought but the coffee pot everyone would drive by that and think that's a good idea. We should have tried that but with a breakfast, can you can you say more about

16:51 Who all was like that that first crew folks cooking that breakfast. I think that's a beautiful part of the store is is the who of it?

17:02 The who is that actually began cooking your breakfast was the three people that were living in the house that Joanna took off the streets. They was Splenda and Daniel and myself.

17:18 It was Lynn as I D like I said and

17:22 Daniel fell on the wagon first. He was like, yeah, I will try and then I was more skeptical. Like I said because of obvious problems. We're going to rise and

17:34 But I remember telling him after that first breakfast cuz he was kind of disappointed because it was only eight people. I remember telling him. Well it will grow and he was like, what do you mean it will go I like where you end up with a lot of people before so we'll just like the Grayson Mayo. I remember telling him cuz he was disappointed but only have eight people show up to the impromptu breakfast on his porch, right? I remember telling him that we only had five people show up to our first meal at the the old apartments back in the in the very early days of grace and Main and I remember you telling we had five an hour now, we're having 50 people show up for dinner every Thursday and you know, so so enjoy the date while you can cuz it's going to grow like it when people find out that you're going to do a real meal right with

18:28 That's open to whoever wants to come and then there's no judgment there and if they're welcome to eat and participate in the life of the community that wouldn't when you do that kind of thing. When you do when you build a big fire. Lots of people want to come and warm themselves. And you know, I'm sure enough 82802 expansion write it expanding very quickly and it was a good thing. It really was.

18:59 All you had to do is knock on the door and say you needed by person the breakfast as will all.

19:06 Migos there wasn't a sausage biscuit and a couple drawings easy with some pancakes and scrambled eggs and sausage and

19:15 I remember I remember one time thinking that it had finally reached the point where you it was just going so well and then I heard that y'all were going to do pancakes when we are expecting 60 some people to come to to eat and I remember thinking now pancakes for 60s hard if you've got a big kitchen, but you got to a single stove and I'm overthinking this is going to be going to break the breakfast right? We're going to we're going to have to figure out how to fix this after we cannot cook pancakes for 60, but but we did right and not just once but like many time multiple times and we did Christmas morning breakfast two years in a row.

20:01 Which Grace and Main members came to participate in and everybody was like you're going to do breakfast on Christmas Day and I was like what better day to do it? Yeah.

20:14 And it was really wonderful. It was like we had ham we had a Christmas breakfast and we had gift bags and candy and toys and it was just it was wonderful to see the day people really we had gift bags remember only had to get back.

20:33 Not even my boss man bought desserts for breakfast. It was it was pretty awesome celebrating that a good thing is worth celebrating and if that means you got to throw a big party and then and that's how you know, that's a way to show love rats away to show Grace is the little bit party. We got to be good at throwing parties, right? We got good at it got plenty to celebrate.

21:05 Can you say you talk a little bit about the the tool Library?

21:16 That got started. I think that you wouldn't Matt actually.

21:22 Tell something about to begin with and I remember thinking now, okay, that could be good. And of course there was old shed that I slept in to begin with and we kind of turned it into a pretty muscle building. It filled up with tools really really quick faster than I expected from donations, and and I want Grace and Main ball and it really grew to

21:55 Decided I would just people in the neighborhood that maybe at Neighbors coming tomorrow lawn mowers and weed eaters or shovels with snow shovels a while having and we have a wide variety of tools power tools garden tools paint tools electrical stuff.

22:12 And it just grew and grew and grew too and we had like ten regulars and no telling how many people did this come randomly whenever they needed a griot are basically every day of the summer as our calling in that first location every day of the summer every mower every trimmer. Every Power Tool was checked out it was gone for the whole day and then come back in the evening and if it didn't come back in the evening, then it was the neighborhood that was going around and finding whoever didn't get the mower back quick enough. And so, you know, I need that mower tomorrow. You can take them back to the tool Library cigarette and which is which. Was the question I always got wherever I went with what do you do when somebody doesn't return something and I love saying I'll let you know when it happens and they come back because it's not just something we're doing. It's sucking neighborhood.

23:06 An asset if it's a it's a it's a possession of the neighborhood. And so the neighborhood itself goes out in the figures out where those tools are. That's correct. And no one ever did not bring something that I had people ask me the same thing with what if they don't bring it back. So we'll get another one another one another one. No big deal Casino. I can keep the two if you show people trust and faith in and usually

23:37 It turns out well.

23:40 I'm not saying it always is going to be perfect. But we never had anything to do in come back yet. And I think that's a pretty incredible three and a half years ago and stronger than love is stronger than we get a credit love is strong. It convinced me. Y'all showed me that.

24:02 Where you know my story and I've been all my life in very seldom did good things in.

24:11 It's not because you anybody's force me to do anything else because I see it in the people. I'm with and makes me want to be a better person. It's not because I'm here by choice and Mama just because it works and it is this work for me. I've been sober for almost 5 Years first time in my life.

24:34 A years always been my Max.

24:38 And not just over but you're you're when you're one of the key leaders in this this work right like that like that that roving Feast for the sitting on porches. You were talking about with a backpack full of lunches. Then where you kind of first medicine. You've been a key figure in doing that now and then you know, you you run the tool Library are you you're doing a lot of a lot of the work that we do that gets it's not just good things have been done to you but you've been doing incredible things in the last several years, right?

25:17 And you don't have that will make you agree with me on that, but I'm just going to say it that is the case whether you like it or not. So

25:26 I think back to that to library and

25:30 And I remember bringing the idea to you and saying you think this is something that'll actually work. Like what what what do you think do you think the neighborhood will even use it and I remember I remember that you were.

25:41 If you're willing to go along but not entirely sure about it that you thought it would might work. But but we also knew that it was really the only would work with are you in on it? Right with whatever is right there behind Joanne's house. It was right there in the neighborhood. It was but you know, you took that shit and and and took it from me and fairly beat up as I recall. What all do you do to that shed their on those first?

26:14 Few months of the tool Library. We only put a week before I should have a actual floor when we wired it up with electricity.

26:28 We put plywood on the walls and we had lice put in and

26:36 It is it was really nice. It turned out really nice and

26:42 I think it was very helpful to people.

26:47 And I wasn't just a place where you can come check out tools also plays you coming hang out and talk about nothing in particular and refrigerator. Yeah, you can come and sit now. I have a bench and some chairs you can come in and just chill out and talk if you want to make a banner made a homemade Banner Health.

27:23 Images of course. We're getting ready to rebuild the tool library, library 3.0 right about that.

27:35 I've been recently located to 410 Moffett Street and a house that was

27:40 Donating to Grace in Maine and I'm the car. Caretaker.

27:48 We are going to build a 16 x 24 two-story to shift when it's going to be a one-story with addict. Like the bottom part will be it will have a concrete pad and electricity and running water and the top part will be

28:11 Greenhouse storage emergency guest quarters and various things we will have more space more storage space we can actually make we are going to put a dormer on the Eastside with glass windows so we can grow plants start plants and seeds and also you can set up on relax and anywhere in time. Hopefully this will won't happen. But if we have to we could actually, you know, put someone up there because I plan on having would he hit her in it, and I'm going to cut holes in the floor so that he will go upstairs.

28:55 I think it's just going to be just as great an experience with the tool Library there. I think we will have just as many people use it. Even if it's not as essential as the one on North Main and not as easy to get to but if you can't come push to Mom with me, I'll bring it to you at all. What and what we've learned time and time again with the lunches with breakfast with the tool library with some dinner. That was a beginner's the houses with the hospitality rooms with everything we do what we've learned. Is it a is that if you build a big fire in if you build that big fire of of love and Community folks will come also find that cuz my Lord I think that's all folks are looking for a big family to be a part of and if you can if you can make that lets people come right, I mean that I know that we've talked countless times about sort of the

29:51 I know why you came back after that that first night eating dinner at the house and

30:00 Can you say just a little bit more about what it what it was that brought you back?

30:05 I don't know if I can put my finger on any one particular thing, but I do know that what I saw the first night was genuine. I saw care compassion and love in the faces that were there. I didn't feel like I was being judged because I was an alcoholic or because I had long hair or because I didn't have my clothes are for my pad, which is

30:35 Which is wonderful thing to have a I was raised in church, but

30:42 I was just pointing in church this particular Church in North Carolina. Attendance since I was knee-high.

30:51 And I continue to visit even after I moved from North Carolina from time to time. We was there one night with my second wife and son and I had long hair and I had on the three-piece so, you know nice car and I heard overheard a conversation with a couple of the older ladies there.

31:13 Are you guys at Longhorn, you know, you know all the past comes back up and from that day forward. I never went back to that church. It's just I found I think I found where I belong and I think I knew the first night which is like I mentioned before trust is a hard thing for me. And I trust I trust in Grace and Main in the people in it. I know I like to say that for me. It was sorta like that puzzle piece experience. Where are all the things that made me a bad fit for other places where exactly what made me a good fit for the place where I landed, right?

31:59 Then that's what made it feel like home. Is that the things that made me different the things that made me off the norm were were not problems. They were parts that make me fit elsewhere.

32:17 I think you might have something that I think I think just doing my case to I think that and I still don't know exactly what circles oblong and so go away.

32:31 Where I exactly fit in to the community because I still haven't accepted that. I am no people it's hard to find a group of people to overlook your fault, which I think I found it cuz I may and I have many faults in.

32:50 Sure, and it's it's it's it's that experience of community right leg and not just like Community like, you know, you see him once a week, but I'm Community intentional Community getting involved in each other's lives getting right up close enough that you can rub elbows all the time right where you know each other that you know what the strengths are the people that you love and you know what their weaknesses are and what doesn't mean that when they

33:16 When the faults don't bother you so much as you you're still committed to him, even though they have the faults the rock tumbler that you know, you got the job. I was born in the 80s until I saw a lot of commercials for rock tumblers on Saturday morning cartoons, but but you get this the rock tumbler where all the Rocks get thrown in with a bunch of grit in the sand and that roll them up together and they they they shine each other right? They polish each other. They knock the hard edges off of each other and that's what community is if you do it, right and you do it. Well, then all the the difficulties all the flaws that you were talking about. Those actually become the the grit and polish is not just you but everybody around you

34:01 We talked about being knit together as a community as a family right that it's

34:06 Nothing, but it's good. It's hard but it's been hard but it's good. I don't think it's a you say we see each other. I don't think yours there might be one day out of the week why I don't see or interact with one another or another crazy man Community, which is pretty awesome. If you think about it, since everybody is so busy and nearly every day you interact with some member of the community in the idea of hospitality rooms, where where it's rooms in homes around the city or

34:48 Open up the room to provide shelter for someone who doesn't have it or needs a better option, you know and

34:56 And the difference between providing shelter, but instead you going further and invited them to sort of participate in the life of the household right. That's such a big deal. And you know, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I know that part of your history, is this me that housing insecurity and we might call homelessness, but

35:17 It's something that if you know if you're willing to talk about what that's like, I think a lot of folks just don't know.

35:24 Well, I've been homeless actually twice one time was when I first moved to Tallahassee, Florida.

35:35 And I moved I didn't know anyone didn't have any money ended up staying on the street for the first week or so. I was I mean literally all day and all night and went out money without knowing anybody trained City.

35:53 Find this rough and people look past you and look over you and avoid you and then when I came back and I left actually I got on my feeling for it and came back to North Carolina to be with my first wife, but we've been divorced for like 20 years that didn't work out. So I

36:17 Food in the Danville and actually had a place to begin with but I ended up homeless again because of my addictions.

36:30 For me

36:33 I have more options in most homeless people do because I worked every day and I really didn't have to be homeless. I just didn't care and I didn't care about anything. I didn't think anybody cared about me.

36:49 So I I work everyday and I spend my money getting drunk and we still live under a house and the same thing applies people. Look over you look around you look through you avoid you.

37:01 And getting back to the meals and stuff. Is it part of it?

37:07 Most people

37:11 Little homeless are not homeless because they're addicts. That's not the root core. Of course that becomes a problem after being homeless a lot of cases, but mostly we just need someone to care and to actually step up to the plate and say they care and show him that care.

37:33 I think that what does is what makes Community strong and that is what gives people hope and whatever you want to say, but I think that somebody in your life that cares about you is the biggest Difference Maker there is to borrow from from you Hollowell down in in Raleigh. We would like to say that homelessness is not a housing problem. It's a community problem exactly. Right? And so if it's a community problem then it has a community solution that and you know what you're talkin about it you're talkin about that night and I've heard that so many I've heard the story so many times and and it makes me think that there's a lot of good and doing things with dignity and doing things that then

38:22 Hold out, you know that that treat people like humans and not like like things are problems, right? You told me that once about that. You just didn't care right in that that hope comes real hard when when you just can't find any in your own right and and no one will lend you any.

38:44 I think I sent you a message in important thing people that here and it really change the way I think about.

38:51 Homelessness in about doing work with dignity and realizing that this is not just being nice that that when we build a community and we welcome people into it and that's that's the kind of work the changes the world making room for anybody and everybody why that's real Bruce or Josh or anybody else, right? We need bigger and stronger and better communities. We do. Everybody can alone. We can do nothing but together we can do a lot.

39:31 Trust and

39:36 Go back to the road and face on us. The beginning of Reviving peace was a way to meet people and get to know the people in your community and

39:48 The father we got to know somebody it wasn't when we bought the lunches around. It wasn't the Mills at the people. It wasn't the meal that the people really want it it was the company that we brought most most folks even whether they were hungry or not. We sit there bag to the side and talk until we left and then yeah and it wasn't really it didn't end up about to me or any type about the company and the companionship and that's just how many does this look for my case? I was alone and

40:26 I'm at y'all at Gracie May and it just spray it I mean now that I have met in a relationship because you care. I've been very blessed.

40:43 To Bass really? I don't deserve it, but

40:48 Lots of people are hungry but a lot of people hungry for food. Like you said, there's a place you can get him you everyday in Danville, but none of these places offer. I'll sit down and talk to you come on your front porch. Bring you something take you to the store most places. Don't offer. Just come in and grab a bag or come in and grab a plate go to the line me and go you're right. I mean, that's great. Nothing wrong this morning better step even bigger and better stand that that and I think that a lot of churches are beginning to realize I think churches changing which it needs to

41:42 Bruce

41:43 I think you're right. It's how you know how much I love talking about these stories with you. I know we're at a time, but thanks again for sharing with me. Thanks for being a part of my life and part of the community cuz my life is better for your presents for sure. And I know that the whole Community can say the same and we love you dearly.

42:06 And thanks again, and I'm proud to be a part of guys tonight in the community and I love you all dearly too and only found that I got my truck is right.

42:21 That for dinner