Both Feet In – Lohr’s Restaurant

Monday, November 28th, 2011 by The Professor

One day while out with his family, WLOY’s Operations Manager stopped at a little restaurant to grab lunch. It looked like a nice family-style diner and good for everyone. While perusing the menu, and the newspaper clippings on the wall, he learned that the owner of Lohr’s Family Restaurant was formerly homeless and had moved from being an employee to the owner after being given a chance to start over. Instant Both Feet In story, just add dumb luck that we stumbled on it! Here it is, in 2 parts, the story of David Jones, his struggles and success.

Lohr’s Part 1 [audio:BFI_Lohrs_Pt1.mp3]Download

Lohr’s Part 2 [audio:BFI_Lohrs_Pt2.mp3]Download

Want to visit? Here’s the website

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM SHOW:

“…and that’s why he’s always constantly telling his story. He has it on our menu, that it’s, this is our story, you know? At first I was like don’t tell everybody that, you know that’s embarassing. Don’t don’t say that! And then, but then I realized well you know what? he’s right. (1:03:40)Everyone needs to know…”

— Rayann, on why her husband, David, has his story on the menu cover

“On Christmas Day, from 11-2, this will be our 9th one I believe? we open our restaurant up, and first it was for homeless and desolate people, that didn’t have a place to go for Christmas day to eat. And now its opened up for anybody its come one come all, and we serve a free turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and uh, you know that’s just a way that I give back to the community.”

— David Jones Sr. on Lohr’s Restaurant every year on Christmas Day

David’s persective on drug and alcohol addiction:

Sylvia: And so during this whole time,…teen yrs of getting involved in drugs… were you thinking that I know this is bad for me but I just can’t help it or….what were your thoughts during these periods?

David: Basically my thoughts are these people think that since I had money to do this, it was a good way to inherit friends. Because now, I don’t really, at that pt in time, and even now days you know really I dont consider myself having that many friends. …Rayann is my wife she’s also my best friend. you know my son is my son he’s also I consider him a friend…but if I have five friends in my life, that’s alot.

Sylvia: What was it about this time, that you were able to, stay clean and not go back?

David: Cuz I don’t want that life anymore. (pause) I’m 55 yrs old, I , you know, I’m in very good health, I don’t have any problems, and I just, I don’t want that life anymore. I don’t know if I could stand to go.. I don’t want to test the water perse and find out what’s gonna happen. It’s not gonna do me any good, it’s not gonna do anybody else any good.

Sylvia: Do you feel that you have to hit rock bottom before you can pull yourself out?

David: Yes, yes. It don’t do any good, until you are at the very bottom of your game, until you lost everything, and you don’t have anywhere else to go or any any other solution to your problems, then you’re gonna, then you’re gonna be sincere in what you’re doing.

“You know you just, every person’s different. Some people can drink and drug everyday. or you know, the weekend warriors or whatever you want to call em. But sooner or later it’s going to catch up with you, if you do it on a regular basis all the time. You know everybody’s different, their biological and chemical makeup of their body is different. You know you just, you just have to, sooner or later, you can see if you have a problem by the way if affects you and your and your life and your surroundings with other people and things of that nature. And I think 95% of the time you do it on a regular basis it’s gonna do that, and that you know, it’s up to you about how far, how far you want to progress before you do something about it.”

“I think you can basically say when you’re when you’re out there and you’re drinkin and you’re druggin and you hit your bottom and you’re in the process of going to where your, hitting your bottom… you know you sit there and say God, why me, why this happening to me? It’s not that you’re doing it to yourself, you know, I think God gives you two paths to do anything. And there’s a rt, there’s a path that you follow his way and it’s not necessarily bumpless, and there’s a path you follow your own way and you get to the, both of them will lead you to the same point its just how fast you get there.”

“I mean Relationships you have to take it on a day to day basis, just like alcoholism. Not saying one goes with the other but, you know, you just, you have to , you don’t know how you’re going to feel when you wake up in the morning, you know, and if the dog peed on the floor, and you and you step in it you’re going to be pissed off if somebody said something to you, you’re gonna you’re gonna answer in a way that you normally wouldn’t. And so it just it’s just an ongoing situation where you have to try.”
— David on relationships

“What home means to me. Well, it being steady and its constant, you can depend on the people that are around you, you feel good when you’re around, you know like the people that you, feel like, I mean home could be with anyone. Like, I, there’s certain people that when I’m around them, I feel at home, you know, not necessarily a building, a structure, um, but yeah…”
— Rayann on “Home”

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Both Feet In Live Show!

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 by The Professor

H.O.P.E.

Baltimore’s own Thomas Hicks has been the Executive Director for Helping Other People through Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) and Ethel Élan Safe Haven 2 Transitional Shelter, for the homeless mentally ill population since 2003 and 2009.

Hear his story LIVE, on the Both Feet In show, this Wednesday at 12noon with host Sylvia Park, and learn how he came to fulfill his life’s purpose – Helping Other People through Empowerment.

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