Last winter, Sharon Alexander was able to continue being generous to others, thanks only to the generosity of others.
For years, Alexander had been coming every Sunday evening to the homeless encampment underneath the 980 freeway on Oakland's Martin Luther King Jr. Way. She would bring with her vats of homemade beef stew and trays of warm cornbread she had prepared in her kitchen earlier in the day.
Alexander called her mission Arthur Jean Safe Place, named after her late mother.
Then, in November of 2022, Alexander's life took some unexpected and unfortunate turns. Her long-time partner, Ron, died. She was unable to afford rent for the home they had shared for years and soon lost that as well.
In what felt like a blink of an eye to Alexander, she was homeless. She squeezed what belongings she could into the back of her Toyota SUV and the front seat became her bed.
Still, as drastically as Alexander's life had changed, one thing did not. Even though she was living on the street herself, Alexander still showed up every Sunday evening with freshly cooked meals to hand out at the encampment. These meals, however, were prepared in kitchens generously offered by friends and acquaintances.
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"I feel like I've found my purpose in life," Alexander said in 2023, "and I don't want to give that up."
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It turns out, feeding others isn't the only thing Alexander refused to give up on. She refused to give up on herself.
After months of navigating life as a homeless person, Alexander managed to find a job working as an outreach specialist for a nonprofit. She then found an apartment for herself to live in Pittsburg.
"I'm no longer homeless," Alexander said with a big smile. "I'm no longer homeless."
And Alexander no longer has to borrow kitchens to cook her meals. But that is not the only change. Alexander says she now has first-person experience she can bring to the effort to help people living on the street. She has a greater understanding of the challenges they face. She is also an example to others of how to get their lives back on track.
"Don't give up. Don't lose hope," Alexander said. "Follow your dreams."
