Mother keeps watch on homeless son from San Francisco church where she works
SAN FRANCISCO -- Deborah Dodson, a mother of five, lives a block away from Emmanuel Church of God in Christ on Hayes Street north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park panhandle.
She says seeing nearby homeless encampments hits close to home for her.
"It's just been difficult for me to know what to do as a person who has a homeless child. What do you do? How far do you go to help?" Dodson said.
She says her son Geoffrey made the choice to leave their family home and live on the street a year ago.
You can find him in his tent just a few feet away from their home and the church.
RELATED ARTICLE: Pastor laments homeless campers encroaching on S.F. church
KPIX asked him what he would say to those who might condemn people living on the street?
"They probably haven't gotten to know the people, talk to them or pretty much see or meet them in order give them a judgment like that on them," Geoffrey replied.
Dodson says she believes her son is struggling with a meth addiction. She told him he needed to contribute to the household and stay clean or leave.
At one point during the interview Geoffrey's oldest sister stopped by. She and her mom reminded Geoffrey he can always come home.
After a while, the family went their separate ways and Geoffrey stayed on the sidewalk with his possessions.
Deborah Dodson reflected on the hard decisions she's had to make as the mother of a homeless man.
"It's hard and disheartening but I have to respect him as an adult. So, I have to respect him."
Deborah tearfully says she is keeping faith that one day Geoffrey will walk in through the door to live a full and healthy life. When asked what she might say to her son if he were to turn his life around, she had this message for future Geoffrey:
"Welcome home Geoffrey, you made it."
Dodson says she understands that there are many people who do not like unhoused neighbors in their neighborhood but wants to remind people that the occupant of every tent is someone's loved one.
