The new home which was selected by respected business leaders in the community for the Joshua Group is sound, a Civil Engineer looked at it, many trades looked at it and the Provincial Government originally promised it to Bobby for $1. What happened? Don't know but its time we make history once again and speak up, pitch in and make this happen. Remember the Save the Saint Josephs Hospital march or the public rally to poo poo the Poly tech idea for UNB? Well guess what folks this is another big guy blunder of an idea that doesn't consider the social net benefit to the community.
Lets get behind this movement to obtain this building for the Joshua Group- Call your MLA, call your Council do something to help, I understand doing the right thing isn't always easy, but its worth it for Bobby's children.
Bobby’s House
How would I describe Bobby Hayes? He’s a down to earth, gritty, modern day Joshua leading his kids to a brighter future. He’s unorthodox and certainly not politically correct. Bobby Hayes is long on passion and purpose but short on patience for any who fail to see the need to support and invest in his kids and their future. Bobby has been and continues to be a one-man, unofficial, non-certified emotional emergency department for Saint John’s less fortunate kids. If they need clothes he finds them, if they need food he feeds them, if they need glasses or a haircut he makes it happen, but most importantly they get the caring and love that they need.
He has become Saint John’s Pied Piper for the young and the vulnerable. Those who shouldn’t but do fall through the cracks in our social system.
This is no well paying 9 to 5 job, it’s a non-compensated totally dedicated 24/7, 365 day commitment.
As if that isn’t enough I personally witnessed him feeding the homeless a turkey dinner last Christmas Day. Could you measure up to these standards, could you do it?
The old church on Waterloo Street that had been Joshua Group’s home for the past three years was sold and for the past year and several months Bobby and the kids have gone as the expression goes “from pillar to post” Admittedly the old church on Waterloo was nothing to write home about, the roof leaked but the kids had come to accept it as their home, it was theirs. Many of these kids have spent their lives a few months here and a few months there, with little opportunity for a sense of stability and belonging.
Joshua Group and these kids need a permanent home, a place that nobody can take away from them.
We learned recently that a building on Paradise Row belonging to the N.B. government was surplus and was for sale by tender. Bobby and friends of Joshua Group had looked at the building last year and had concluded because of location and configuration the building would make an ideal home away from home for his kids.
Most folk in the city know Danny Joyce, as Saint John’s most honest mechanic. Well it seems that after the Ultramar Station closed he expressed an interest in buying the property should it become available to open a garage. Ultramar decided to sell the property and offered it to John Irving. So how successful do you suppose Danny Joyce would be in a bidding war against John Irving for the coveted property? Mr. Irving gracefully declined to bid. Do you suppose he backed away because he couldn’t use the property for expanded parking or because he couldn’t meet the asking price? Or because he realized the “net benefit” to the community and Saint John would be better served by having Danny and family open a business.
Perhaps Mr. John Irving chose “the right thing” to do over a decision that would have served business interests?
Joshua Group intends to bid on the Paradise Row property. It’s entirely possible, in fact likely, that the Joshua Group will be outbid by some business or commercial interests.
When the tenders are opened the right thing to do would be to award the building to the Joshua Group based on the long term “net benefit” to the community and the future of Bobby’s kids over a decision for a relative few dollars and cents.
The once vacant building on Paradise Row should become the future home of the Joshua Group and be known hereafter and securely known as “Bobby’s House”
“Mom's dead, I got lice, I got no friends, and life isn’t very good." These words spoken by a tearful little girl started Bobby Hayes on what has been an 18 year journey. As he repeated those very words during the CBC Champions of Change interview 18 years later the emotional impact of the memory still brings him to tears. For those who are not aware Bobby Hayes was ultimately selected as the “Champions of Change” from almost 2000 national submissions. www.cbc.ca/change/bobbyhayes.html
How would I describe Bobby Hayes? He’s a down to earth, gritty, modern day Joshua leading his kids to a brighter future. He’s unorthodox and certainly not politically correct. Bobby Hayes is long on passion and purpose but short on patience for any who fail to see the need to support and invest in his kids and their future. Bobby has been and continues to be a one-man, unofficial, non-certified emotional emergency department for Saint John’s less fortunate kids. If they need clothes he finds them, if they need food he feeds them, if they need glasses or a haircut he makes it happen, but most importantly they get the caring and love that they need.
He has become Saint John’s Pied Piper for the young and the vulnerable. Those who shouldn’t but do fall through the cracks in our social system.
This is no well paying 9 to 5 job, it’s a non-compensated totally dedicated 24/7, 365 day commitment.
As if that isn’t enough I personally witnessed him feeding the homeless a turkey dinner last Christmas Day. Could you measure up to these standards, could you do it?
The old church on Waterloo Street that had been Joshua Group’s home for the past three years was sold and for the past year and several months Bobby and the kids have gone as the expression goes “from pillar to post” Admittedly the old church on Waterloo was nothing to write home about, the roof leaked but the kids had come to accept it as their home, it was theirs. Many of these kids have spent their lives a few months here and a few months there, with little opportunity for a sense of stability and belonging.
Joshua Group and these kids need a permanent home, a place that nobody can take away from them.
We learned recently that a building on Paradise Row belonging to the N.B. government was surplus and was for sale by tender. Bobby and friends of Joshua Group had looked at the building last year and had concluded because of location and configuration the building would make an ideal home away from home for his kids.
Most folk in the city know Danny Joyce, as Saint John’s most honest mechanic. Well it seems that after the Ultramar Station closed he expressed an interest in buying the property should it become available to open a garage. Ultramar decided to sell the property and offered it to John Irving. So how successful do you suppose Danny Joyce would be in a bidding war against John Irving for the coveted property? Mr. Irving gracefully declined to bid. Do you suppose he backed away because he couldn’t use the property for expanded parking or because he couldn’t meet the asking price? Or because he realized the “net benefit” to the community and Saint John would be better served by having Danny and family open a business.
Perhaps Mr. John Irving chose “the right thing” to do over a decision that would have served business interests?
Joshua Group intends to bid on the Paradise Row property. It’s entirely possible, in fact likely, that the Joshua Group will be outbid by some business or commercial interests.
When the tenders are opened the right thing to do would be to award the building to the Joshua Group based on the long term “net benefit” to the community and the future of Bobby’s kids over a decision for a relative few dollars and cents.
The once vacant building on Paradise Row should become the future home of the Joshua Group and be known hereafter and securely known as “Bobby’s House”
Herb Duncan is a Saint John business man and a social advocate for change in Saint John. Herb can be reached at duncan.herb747@gmail.com
