Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey
    Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey
    Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey
    Ebook477 pages7 hours

    Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey

    By Richard LeMieux and Michael Gordon

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    One day, Richard LeMieux had a happy marriage, a palatial home, and took $40,000 Greek vacations. The next, he was living out of a van with only his dog, Willow, for company. This astonishingly frank memoir tells the story of one man's resilience in the face of economic disaster. Penniless, a failed suicide, estranged from his family, and living "the vehicular lifestyle" in Washington state, LeMieux chronicles his journey from the Salvation Army kitchens to his days with "C"a philosopher in a homeless man's clothingto his run-ins with Pastor Bob and other characters he meets on the streets. Along the way, he finds time to haunt public libraries and discover his desire to write.

    LeMieux's quiet determination and his almost pious willingness to live with his situation are only a part of this politically and socially charged memoir. The real story of an all-too-common American condition, this is a heartfelt and stirring read.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSkyhorse
    Release dateOct 17, 2008
    ISBN9781628732054
    Breakfast at Sally's: One Homeless Man's Inspirational Journey

    Related to Breakfast at Sally's

    Related ebooks

    Personal Memoirs For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Sophie’s Secret

      Dec 28, 2020

      Sophie’s Secret
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Answer

      Dec 28, 2020

      The Answer
      4 min read

    • Article

      “As We Say Here In The South, ‘He Was Raised Right, Not Jerked Up’”

      Sep 12, 2019

      Reading the August/September 2019 issue, I marveled at a couple who collect buildings, laughed out loud at the naming of a dog, snickered at Elvis and creative cussin’, cried at the saving of a sea turtle, and got hungry from all the delicious food a

      2 min read

    • Article

      Jaycee Lee Dugard

      Aug 3, 2020

      Jaycee Lee Dugard, then 11, was walking up the street near her home in Meyers, California, when she was abducted on June 10, 1991, by a man in a car who knocked her unconscious with a stun gun. Her stepfather, Carl Probyn, saw the kidnapping throug

      1 min read

    • Article

      Lifted

      Oct 1, 2021

      Lifted
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Best Time to Share the Gospel

      Nov 19, 2021

      “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 Wow, it’s almost Christmas aga

      2 min read

    • Article

      Someone Cares

      Jul 26, 2022

      Someone Cares
      2 min read

    • Article

      Giving It All to God

      Oct 1, 2021

      Giving It All to God
      6 min read

    • Article

      All By Myself

      Apr 28, 2020

      All By Myself
      6 min read

    • Article

      Help Wanted

      Mar 25, 2023

      Help Wanted
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Humility Sisters

      Dec 28, 2020

      The Humility Sisters
      3 min read

    • Article

      My Journey to Healing

      Mar 26, 2022

      My Journey to Healing
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mysterious Ways

      Oct 1, 2021

      The dream felt so real. I was in my childhood home, the townhouse we lived in when we first moved to Virginia. My grandfather was there too. I could hear a storm brewing. Somehow I knew the house would be flooded. We needed to hurry. As we threw belo

      1 min read

    • Article

      KATE & HARRY BURY THE HATCHET

      Jun 5, 2022

      KATE & HARRY BURY THE HATCHET
      2 min read

    • Article

      Fixer-Upper

      Mar 25, 2023

      Fixer-Upper
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tuesday, November 2

      Oct 15, 2021

      Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 (NIV) HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE feeling it would be a bad day, even before your feet touched the floor? Having overslept, I was already running behind for my

      1 min read

    • Article

      A Place of Grace

      Jul 26, 2022

      A Place of Grace
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sweet November

      Oct 28, 2021

      Sweet November
      3 min read

    • Article

      Trust Exercise

      May 27, 2022

      Trust Exercise
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Seven-Month Wait for Lunch: Why food aid needs to overhaul its delivery system.

      Jul 25, 2013

      Last fall, the United States government bought lunch for some hungry schoolchildren in Mozambique. Though the students lived in their country’s best farming region, where deep green hills cover rich, red soil, their benefactors didn’t buy the food ne

      8 min read

    • Article

      Gangsters Are Turning To Christ In Guatemala

      Jun 24, 2019

      Guatemala, a Central American country south of Mexico, is home to over 17 million people – it is surrounded by volcanoes, rainforests, and other ancient sites. 59,3% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 23% of the nation lives in extre

      3 min read

    • Article

      Saturday, November 19

      Oct 15, 2022

      LAST SATURDAY MORNING, KEVIN STOOD in the doorway of our bedroom with his cell phone in his hand. “I was going out to warm up the car when I got this text,” he said. “I think you should see it.” He snatched off his knit cap and took off his winter co

      1 min read

    • Article

      You Are Not A Failure!

      Jul 22, 2019

      You Are Not A Failure!
      2 min read

    • Article

      Test Your BIBLE KNOWLEDGE

      Apr 22, 2022

      See how many of these you can fill in before checking the answers on page 74. After you test yourself, try reading the questions aloud to a friend or family member and see how they do! 1 How old was Noah when he had his three sons? 2 At the time

      1 min read

    • Article

      Someone Cares

      Jul 30, 2021

      Someone Cares
      2 min read

    • Article

      Sewing for Hope

      Dec 28, 2020

      Sewing for Hope
      3 min read

    • Article

      Closer to Heaven

      Mar 26, 2022

      Closer to Heaven
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Breakfast at Sally's

    4/5

    45 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A man who has lost it all is homeless and decides to write this book. He tells stories about the people he meets and how he gets by. Sally's is The Salvation Army where he and many others eat breakfast each day. They find dinner at various churches. They know where to go on which days and have some favorite dishes. The stories are eye-opening, sometimes very sad, sometimes quite funny. I was surprised at the frank, day-to-day descriptions and activities. We get this from the perspective of a homeless man. He is depressed and yet he has gratitude and, like many others who have very little, he is likewise generous. The book is not religious, not by a long shot, but does show how the good works of various organizations, many of them churches, mean a lot to those who need food, clothing, and just a kind word. I noticed that there were people eating at Sally's who were not homeless, but were in need of food. The stories also give insight into the problem of drugs and alcohol abuse among the homeless.
    • 4/5
      A very engaging book which turns the homeless into people as the author interacts, helps and receives help from the very homeless community in which he finds himself. Everyday dealing with clinical depression and suicidal thoughts with Willow the Wonder Dog looking after him and giving him a living creature to care for. With the help of a local minister and church he managed to get off the streets and this book has been a great success. He told his mental health therapists that it would be read by the Washington State's governor and the President of the United States which had them worried for its failure. It didn't and the author is currently working on three books, one about Willow, and he still has meals at Sally's with some of the people he met on his journey and the new faces that find themselves there.
    • 5/5
      Richard LeMieux had it all - family, job and a luxurious lifestyle but ended up living in his van with his little dog, Willow. He soon finds out which churches provide food on which nights and makes friends with many of the other homeless people. Despite the subject matter this is not a depressing book. It offers insight into the lives of homeless people and helps us see that they are not very different to us.
    • 5/5
      It’s a non-fiction book which takes place in our state, it’s very well written…and tells the story about someone who had been “successful” and in these economic crisis times became a person who lived out of his van with his dog companion. He not only describes his experiences but also the change in attitude he has about “street people” when he actually gets to know who they are as people. It’s definitely a “cultural awareness” piece and one that increases understanding and tolerance towards those we might tend to write off. B. Scheon
    • 4/5
      Touching and enlightening memoir about life on the streets in Bremerton, WA
    • 4/5
      As a very personal account of homelessness coming after incredible wealth, this book brought home to me the diversity within the homeless population. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      An eye opening book about the plight and community of our homeless population. Would have enjoyed a little more back story, but a good read.
    • 4/5
      Richard LeMieux had it all. He had been a successful sportswriter and owned a small publishing company. He had raised three children and travelled extensively with his partner of seventeen years. He lived the 'good life', eating out, spending lots on material goods. Until the bottom fell out - his business failed, his partner left and his adult children and former friends wanted nothing more to do with him. On Christmas Day 2002, despondent and suffering from severe depression, LeMieux attempted suicide. Thankfully he was unsuccessful.For the next year and a half, he lives with his faithful companion Willow (the Wonder Dog) in his van. Taking many of his meals at the Salvation Army, (hence the title) we meet many of the other homeless and working poor that populate the city of Bremerton, Washington.Drawing on his writing background and a donated typewriter, LeMieux begins to write a book about his journey. Families living in church parking lots in their cars, camps of young people living peacefully on the outskirts of town, the mentally ill, the addicted. But it is the caring and compassion shown by these downtrodden to each other that strikes such a chord with me. In particular a man only identified as C, who is so responsive to the needs of those in his neighbourhood. There are many, many other stories within this book.With the economy the way it is, I am sure there will be many more people forced into situations that they would never have forseen or imagined. I am always inspired by memoirs such as Breakfast at Sally's. Not just by the authors, but those who choose to make a difference.

    Book preview

    Breakfast at Sally's - Richard LeMieux

    cbook_preview_excerpt.html}YGV64(DK&)&$N[_m""!AKzKuNHR@Ç;;o?/W_|S}__|8l_?}~BoڹɟOyʾ}W?÷;_lj|,zw, 77O|!?8nQQ ]h|{y~ |}*[> 9|^\vͩx(հXhw^MaW\vk:7CPTm.~W[wUQeQW{ŇQp/fScw*U'K(dC! >^:iO8mcLݝCݝU=PeaWux8[9A›]ɣX;ɜlk KMބcw}A]|^oKˆ/eᢸl (G9Zî GFˇ]U4^.NZ +:AwEv Ct*pӄdoj%~Ѹd5 w,"V;/oeLG) UxU>{_BPfշx)2iކ^0R<9+e7eGml3P+9lyrE+"x'+zQ~Q +nB?, uN}-)ԑQ'V[<ၸ1i(\ uzx1en{'\ 6Vи?Lt77#JNd"N/8j޵pN*fYxuB_Q8*AiƩrGI~߯] ªVZ"P;*NTE),M4ue RY(:QN(}?A,l]>=c%SYS&Dba}!a[juCd2NSA-,-{\nճnВX+#7".^EXD;?xZق_ [ǕuPW~Wo (A|hQ:!(|\+3P %򖅞Trﰽ^95xәs6rA{=]wZ}z_dG=h9) J4\_},N"H&vElXNKڜwcqAP{Jm,u8~#}2LOOu\|ws7ep.̩;`EV*Qô+}Ţ4]Yu3C+UЛXڼ@T,$QfQ.|,0gQF)!(JBxP]WOϘkZh4W% ZQ#Lqcٮ M bQVN{^LTD-ߝ|\+vlYFɯX.*.8^sk~$ybyEΥ}//lAMMw#G{Zv.r料y2Ua?%~_yH%k!۟dE,Qq0vfp\3R-Qlq`ďګ2J%rҔȻ~p!D9tp#IT!xϽă3"^?&e1Y;*Vnl]%PƊ՛IZbMYʃWQV1z;UL.&rR<$\p@VPm_4Ô1*;M9<.ت Q@#R/ez =l.~p*w>'#K%x i[;͸z9򐇡hm-\@-L 'q޴qsiF Jr.` F]KA+tӮыIvB !Q:Q.nQDž*#^SWv덓ŕ/&1 òV~g#|+Q]Bp b+thlW"SRgCYXW8Z iV@3XH^Hć>80XdXOd qu &nhEi ŃLČ(mƌX<x PZ]\N_FٚG"XXƗ8i~U[efAʱA.mk#ux44o|Wv |+_Ͷ4 HeUD%oCɣb݈S)45j0Ap~iKAy5T90r3@(R +P$dHf€Ցڕ[ͳ%6Lv4, @̔|:ߛ w}a _9~р.co^԰=t`UrvP>CWsIYy"qȒ2JG3c91Σx{Ūo."3qoNZ:lP Edc l9l3:0?`vN7^'z` y#Қa٤}MJ)be"cH^U9FWD8Cgz\{`.ܞn$:s\2c nXWio itCFN|HAg0ʌ"c&Ƕ!`3Aw8E|86zE{ "F>c0? Eg^ɺx]"b=Kz<0ddcj/05xBBp#;4%t:*?Up`jvtۊmS r kH+Wk}w՝>;Vsqp'y2x^JT4s^mnn8./u;&rhstwc('UEE**`fX %20 W_XH|6r~=Er$Bxtl>ݪLJm)C-!1rh=>FNГEqRx\fmtof BJ8*N+[W'S!2{F\Vz/,d;D_梛DDݒm3l(KbJBoԻPC^/IJuw Mzp)}i eBu a'E;;٠Vju1=JzĖJnc!J>r2T:YXߕPDb\Dk0! #@ d`gߎ1 A>" Ax /}䤞*K6KsFJW+%w|5vw4VRԬݷdA4^vJ†$顡sO:o*ǵ{ E89OFiP13eoL~@$DMjW%. 1^ ?xIHTGc9+_r/jUt_&(mde΃&m@I+l8^qk`Wbʴ#Hۤ܆a18Fە B{эpDnZde~R7ȇVg< T U_;EKD-iV 10Kff/ ֊)& {2Ztmӹ!j~@uW\ 2V;&@,RGXt bs nEӂ8&\mAI$x,蟓3APY1dYhY+'|έUT(V;p.c6kCVod/]vgSeeH? w6m*4iP3F$m@l9T:{4' +}NԐ#ʱCdt=υ٨Hu EJӧ);t4EfNIb ^,'#KAW ]sRlaPi gy/!AӜ]Yڔլ7:gAn0uEYNB>;A2ܶPςbknKQPI]`gA%?,#5PQe!7(Z_CPg9O >c$F~TX"'OpE74 D|;xOط1020}Ug4Y1(%6(#!uJ hbAe΅`0t`E}إ@}}">hsW7/F OC抧(JO,sy$5kg^1LzDg/hCe'4i S9z98ӹIe+\za@[* vm 67t301 \)eΣWb|}K*2)P2ްVz;ֲɷ~prÆ7S[12#闿)M, 2!Jx#DIdT$ b_&KF,㬬R4Ӽm-xC 5E /dI\ .&<c4|qMvBs9&sk7(`وI7nIKrK)h%P1&1b0&\NLh5~rAC}1z"b ,<E-WD^\7Gjǩ)‡!}|@A2L̤Ty."iZJC3*=Wi6]h$H.y%7U-ttqZ ۓg rQ[N!:c.N6dNLZ#ޘ_p+>q%s'+Y- ˲vKxѶo;ys2t[jZk[ Dz>;"%M~ssde}C #T]` KQ1׮[!ڊ#݁ku ŔU-mc5R[7ѻT֢>:ɠQ|XsT4)ۧ1|?̉J`Fq j O 뫏)iVOYmtkK"cX z>%"d+7j(SnVyf gM0vbm.HeeL Oa[fg0ӛԩX| =cpzc#,D86Lzا$r\ޑ%&?[uLm?aPÄ)f"f~ ATT Ҳ{*%J/Ra]W͊vp*NQ# bMn= wF0K[d">ӎ(q!#.Vf~EjVCR6O(8N!lY J!7⶚DUwܻLk5WO֦ቱERY|&njSiS:K `Z,}T1ūJ؊˰Z#ձv@@P}1w3$C]iSblHA0]Cg@~1ŭ ~$B*XyJl2A&#St`l7Z|HbBz+HG;DD>NJejo{kp-1e\XV\-F12u(>" %ZM,R c87jdS&QZv}7+)JIy'gׯlc\k3h՚!;bTU*=fmrDӔzHk)aIY8%(*H'.iD*eSH/vsBbJy|d*\@BJ%&vek%3}qw SgY)'bx39*{Q :=Z ,e`T]qAT P@;S2Z8zoQ2 NE,.Z&Llz&+X$PiN/v2i;]RQm% fBmݸ5ajUgJiYpʹe<"`7ĺfHGd%wpԂ@2Fo7kAkqt~21%,ͦdP-xK7y/~zczyStfQ{Eq{Ë?߾]z}c\([o I?l/x-#Fs<0{hZcQv}U8suTФ6ۡ 6º̦Z"al+Г^Lb)1(.\݈ 5'Td,iT3`~):S2"/,8ڂ!bT%+Kj97:h!<-Eo[*-Ðu5kCCϒliXlS`:`6{U^S`u ^9]iB&(0E3L!Ԉc&ldF`e؞yy^cȣEq AtK!tY21w~@_GW`&fI[_xS,ИfLXpe`>8Ґ8Hi-5`f SE3Oa;Zq[e䡰!72FM'Fh( JN;  R^0Mڎc\lM%!vMfvP*ȉj+ٽ|MƪJGiWݐyKxgl9ZNhdP%VjT6w+ZVklƷělQߔYxc ::J(@ uR CdR``W/첸C-MNL),MIgf\i8nUOuS]0Y%{Rf죋zO5>ӞFUsUը47Mb "3db8.YMIQBf>HJ$Wӹ|wʟ$)K_(wܝi`VȺ["rb!hsmCYpbq9e`T?[+M,6#ӫe |g#Ɓ^_\jfF9(h˜4%yчZT \= g&Oϯo̎Qͥa}7-3gS+Y؍zZ;J\ӘEc߿X@D;g-\dEZ#SS)E 1$ŊL>a] F[Z_z4:/-%?_XUA2M(iì +QC澩Պ8c͠xlQ. q.O>wwf =bӌcbuyVnfh f=YBR:':iJh:~y1/e}un10hEOm},Q_S`7!,f ׸m":kcC xgw RmIՁ*MmjzDRZd#8ϊ<& Qf!VTV5ޗIvU,-Fr}, jKд_1]mÈ=m8ҍ{hKA}vFh^sƦZLY8.TV ol:S:Ă& Q;3T<M=A#(OD) m#j,y4[ 0Ww|5$B}/9'tvaLYB|w4$L nӘ#:w!S-^Ht:O3P1p,ZɎ;4.38IdsTӼ"?⍰ ٿxROѿbk DĮcR/gNk`+,A *¦5HɁt!4~,kCX&G=j&i9*lc6Y&JE8 T)G/ ^4mCa9ZΙߍC.DnΚUfO" %33(B*J\eJd!۔FxSJ|@W5ubz'A*g^ڱTciv1nRU|k}R'FpьeȿFr$'Js;P129^AJSڑ=ìOVYܤU=fR41U4>o^'W''qX5'EۮSkWbpWF̊_+)}33lq}V x-ߦNg_d!It7,nڇZ{jڵ~8a~vj$ g.bl۪ws}o/MUiU2[ڥz0ܴw'h-;* RcL"&R3Qjv޺&̬-̊08Re:o/޲vSh@iXΑsGmN؋)}tEbpXyA0ӏy^;yQsRMizVmGi+\YuL~O!V3WY "д3fX:7fMJYA[3LKsug‡vRX+龋sMъ,Ļcٷښe!HyƵ)KPJ?bc,ݧ{LRC~7Cb͐tOcyPf~Hu<%0:\[-gT>gܔڃSP_jSvhF?pݒє(əs` |ٰ񎓼ܐHGRX!Dg5ZĠ p3D7̌Ni :m,/ְJ1^1ShҪIU \2/נok@̿Ji#<ϟQHî\W"5Dപ[XNVE4Dl^tbDg}-*I8!Ov`(,.#^MכZgu720㑐 6JD k'1RɎuށو'ZHd;A@X@fϟ3/f1{M59hh)XRo1cՒӧ.p2 ),^̅PW%]Q'i9Lti8Uͣ&>Eʮ2N BdaKsEzc@sd9k!ҩ0B\/@3[\w%oG z i|~M1}; )j3g VdtYXFWMDc[Q3:Ģ_$߰xwgѢaM踭ƂiS}"7=B:RwY}?fh1󄭮h`pő0y1LeBfö3u9 〚g [8أkke\HSvzUsA Ѓ,j>,7&!.ѶgJzfs4[hT??vŨ Vn~OU Ȗyo;;3Mv RsB+}&r vs߽BsKŏT/kyq l+w)X7(l>-T%cY=b4 K6iS=@>F} ^-SALaJkT"1TQZĴ븡cۣq:/}:l[k =E.]q=׸rY9-lr}Q wj"=/)k1"9jkW29xX ;D>4'[`8gIDO+z IpuU+NhtJ$hΌX7Uvz\NICehbs@%!lX5hi]џe<"m" q-/X C'u6tI4/1%ˍq"'m>Nby~*S.Nl/attӜK)-xvie.ko)^Ll^ z&iRuZkF`4 d*j>;,.k^_ )I>-4Aan*t㼬Л'c9+NY+Zɪƭ;TU&^׌WNx}m ^ յUKj KK唚aqR#*4gW3v7 >Vc񗗍Уu%%AUJbtIALuJ (vs GP&cŸSܬ&YGU#kkErvl<#kx뭱\Ut-)" "
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1