Kudos to the City of Sacramento 311

Last night around 8:30 I was frustrated and left to go for a walk. I put on my headset and left my house. As I walked several blocks I passed a bus stop. It was dark and I paid no attention if anyone was seated inside the Regional Transit booth.

I heard a faint soft female voice. I turned around but I didn't see anyone. Then I took off my headset and I heard the words, "Ma'am, Ma'am" Slightly irritated, I abruptly said, "What?"

I will admit the first thing that came to my mind was to say "No, I don't have any money." But I am glad, so glad I did not accuse the person of wanting money and walk away ignoring her.

Seated at the bus stop was a young girl in the dark with no jacket, wearing flip-flops, jeans and a thin short-sleeve shirt. The girl began sobbing so rapidly and uncontrollably. She could not speak. The cries continued with her often taking the time to catch her breath. The tears were streaming down her young face.

Then she said, "My sister put me out. I have nowhere to go." She cried harder. "I don't know anybody here. I don't know where I am." And with another deep breath, she cried, "My sister got on the bus and left me here." I went to hold the girl and tell her it would be all right and she opened her arms and held me tightly. She held me, a stranger, in the dark as if she did not want to let me go. I suggested we walk down the street to the job corps to see if they had resources or referrals.

At first she hesitated. I know it wasn't easy for her to walk away with a stranger. I asked her how old she was, and she said, "I just turned 17." But she looked so much younger.

I've seen many youth on the streets and this girl still had innocence. It was apparent there was no street-smarts about this young girl. I told her I would call the police for her. Through sobs and trembles, she said." "My sister said if I call the police on her I can never ever come back." I asked if she needed to call family or friends, and she said, "My mother is not in California and I really don't know anyone here. I just enrolled in Burbank, but I don't have friends yet. I watch my sister's 5-year-old son most of the time." Then she cried out, "Who is going to watch my nephew?"

The girl watched me dial three numbers and said, "Is it the police?" I said, "No, honey, it is 3-1-1." If I felt there was a criminal bone in this young girl's body I would of called 9-1-1, but this girl seriously looked as though she needed services, counseling, support and not questions. The last thing I wanted to do was compound her concerns.

A gentleman answered the phone. He was the nicest, most supportive person I had spoken with in quite some time. I let him talk to the girl and through her tears and sobs she answered his questions. But most of her answers were "I don't know where I am. I don't know the ZIP code here. I don't know what street this is" and she handed me the phone so I could answer the questions. As I spoke with the 3-1-1 operator I could hear her faint voice in the background saying over and over to me, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." The 3-1-1 operator found a shelter number and said, "Ma'am, this is it. I found one for us." He said, "for us."

The 3-1-1 operator did not say he found shelter for the young girl. We were in this together. This girl wasn't alone. She had me. She had the 3-1-1 operator. She was going to have the shelter. By the grace of God, she was not alone. So many of us were standing in the dark with her. He told me to please call him back and let him know what happens and if we need to continue to look for resources.

I hung up the phone and called WIND Youth Services. I was excited. A few years ago I attended a rally downtown where several organizations were addressing homeless teens in Sacramento and I recalled the name and their posters. I told the girl, "I heard of this place. This will be good." The girl was still crying and said, "I didn't do nothing wrong. I didn't do anything." I told her it doesn't matter. And then trying to get a smile from her I told her, "Honey, if I took you home, neither one of us would get any sleep. You would be in a strange house with someone you met who walked by a bus stop. I wouldn't get any sleep wondering if in the middle of the night you'd sneak to the door and let someone in for a robbery," and we both laughed. I held her as I called WIND.

The WIND employee offered to send a car to pick her up. As I spoke with the WIND employee, tears filled my eyes. Now two more people were with us in the dark to help this girl.

When WIND called me back, I explained the situation. "I am with a young girl. I'm calling for a women's shelter. But my name is Rhonda Erwin." He said, "Ms. Erwin, how are you? It's been a long time since we spoke." I then recognized his voice. And I cried. I cried because I knew she was in good hands. I was not going to send her to ride with strangers. "Othello!" I screamed. I had worked with Othello a couple years ago addressing youth violence and attended many summits, workshops and planning meetings with him. I had no idea where he was or what he was now doing. It was beautiful.

Within 15 minutes Othello arrived. I knew she was nervous. I gave the girl my number. I told her if I was worried about the man who picked her up I would get in the car and ride with her. But I knew she was safe. Othello explained the services of WIND and gave the young girl their pamphlet. I wrote my phone number on the material and told her to please call me any time day or night.

She held me so tight and cried, "Thank you, ma'am, thank you." I held her as tight as I could and told her, "No, thank you. I needed to leave my house tonight and meet you. I needed to see the services provided by the city of Sacramento 3-1-1. I needed to see the services provided by WIND. I needed you tonight. We were all sent to each other. God is good. God, my child, is love."

She drove off with the services of WIND beneath her wings. I waited in the area for quite some time. I did hope to see her 21-year-old, sister come back to the bus stop. I pictured the headlines in my head.' South Area Youth Activist Accused of Assaulting 21yr-old Youth."  I was filled with love but angry that this woman left her sister at the bus stop with no money, no coat, no phone to leave with her boyfriend. No one appeared to be coming back for the girl, so I walked home giving God all the honor, praise and glory for showing me the love this city has to offer.

As I prepared for bed I called WIND to check on the girl's arrival and emotional condition and a female answered. "The girl is sitting right here with me and she wants to say, 'One more time, thank you.'" I hung up, closed my eyes and said, kudos to the city of Sacramento 3-1-1 services and kudos to WIND. So many of us are proving to be the wind beneath the wings of Sacramento teens and youth.

Rhonda Erwin

If you know of youth ages 11 to 22 needing services, please contact WIND. Youth can drop in for free: breakfast and lunch, food boxes, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, lockers, computer lab, daily activities, nurse on site two days a week and housing assistance. Shelter is available for ages 11 to 17. The number listed on the brochure is 443-8333.