Our Work is "For the One" - John

John wasn’t invited.

He didn’t know anyone.

He’d never even heard of The Human Impact.

But that Tuesday morning, he rolled into our office in his electric wheelchair and said, “It must have been God leading me in.”

John lives in Fort Worth but doesn’t have many friends that live close by. He often rides the bus into Dallas just to be around people and to have something to do. The night before, he had ridden into Dallas but hadn’t made it back—so he slept outside in his wheelchair. When he woke up, his chair was flashing “low battery,” and he had nowhere to turn. He wasn’t far from our offices, so he came in looking for help.

He didn’t know anyone and didn’t know what to expect. But he sat through our Tuesday morning Meet & Greet with a room full of strangers. And then he shared about the loneliness, about sleeping in his chair, and about hoping someone would be able to help him. After Meet & Greet, we got him a day bus pass, but when he left our building, ready to head home—his chair died right outside. Stranded and in a 250 lb. wheelchair with no charger and no way home.

At The Human Impact, we don’t just show up for people when it’s convenient—we stick with them even when solutions may be difficult to find. A drained wheelchair battery may not seem like a big deal, but to John it was his only way home.

By that time, much of our advocacy team was out on the streets or helping other friends, so there were only a few people available to problem-solve, and they were discovering that we had even fewer available options. No spare chargers in stock nearby. No rides available from partners. No spare wheelchairs at nearby hospitals.

When all else failed—one of our team members drove him an hour back to his home in Fort Worth to grab his charger. On the drive, John shared some of his story and his desire to be part of a community. Especially one that would drop everything to make sure he got home.

John expressed, “You guys feel like family. No. You ARE my family.”

Our team member brought John’s charger back to the office and charged his wheelchair overnight. It takes 8-14 hours to fully charge. We had given John another bus pass so he could come back to get his wheelchair the next day, and he assured us he could use his crutches to navigate the trip back. Our team picked him up at the station, brought him to our offices, and reunited him with his fully charged wheelchair.

John is planning to bus into Dallas when he can on Tuesdays for Meet & Greet—this time with his charger packed. He’s also interested in coming to community prayer and streets time.

From stranger to family. That’s why we focus on “the one.” That’s why we listen, act, and offer our presence—because it’s how relationships are formed and trust is built. That’s the long, slow, beautiful work of love. And we are certain that it’s the work that God continues to call us to.