Giffird's Hope
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  • Treasure Hunting
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  • The Billboard
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  • Angel Investor
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  • Hawaii's Tourism
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  • The Heritage Trail
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  • Everything was Gone
  • The Park Bench
  • Guardian Security
  • J.C. Penney
  • Why Are You Homeless?
  • The Unicorn
  • Helping Those in Need
  • Hope Street
  • Apartment No. 1
  • Restoring Hope
  • Knock on the Door
  • Welcome Home
  • You're An Eagle
  • The Highway Patrol
  • The Letter
  • Home
  • In Search of Hope
  • The Spirit of Giving
  • The Unknown
  • Hard Work
  • Another Man's Treasure
  • Treasure Hunting
  • Coffee Mugs and Tea
  • Planning for Success
  • Stockyard Memories
  • Join the Military, Kid
  • The Billboard
  • The Marine Corps
  • You're In Hawaii
  • Angel Investor
  • Duty-Free Shopping
  • Hawaii's Tourism
  • Liberty House
  • Great America
  • Giffird's Dream
  • The Heritage Trail
  • The Message Light
  • Everything was Gone
  • The Park Bench
  • Guardian Security
  • J.C. Penney
  • Why Are You Homeless?
  • The Unicorn
  • Helping Those in Need
  • Hope Street
  • Apartment No. 1
  • Restoring Hope
  • Knock on the Door
  • Welcome Home
  • You're An Eagle
  • The Highway Patrol
  • The Letter
Giffird's Hope
Why Are You Homeless?

Giffird had befriended an older man named William, who was the perfect poster child for homelessness. He had a full beard, a worn, torn suit, and a shopping cart full of belongings. But William had such great control of the English language that it impressed everyone around him, especially Giffird. One day, he asked, “William, why are you homeless? You’re so intelligent!” His reply was simply, “Giffird, you’re also very intelligent.”

William’s kind and humble nature was very comforting to Giffird, but at the same time, he was curious about the man. Giffird was very persistent in urging William to tell him his story, but the man would just intentionally avoid him. One night, Giffird was especially persuasive, and William finally opened up. The story he shared would change Giffird’s life forever.

William told Giffird that he had been an orphan from a very young age but left the orphanage and traveled from one foster home to another throughout his childhood. His first memory as a child was looking through a knothole in a wooden fence in the backyard of one of his foster homes. On the other side, he watched as a mother and father played with their children in their backyard. William said that all he could remember was looking to the sky and asking GOD, “Why don’t I have a mommy or a daddy?”

When Giffird heard this, he felt fortunate that he, at least, had a family—even though they were dysfunctional at times.
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