Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX –
Security Forces personnel “serve and protect” those who live
and work throughout Joint Base San Antonio, but some Airmen have recently taken
the meaning of those words beyond the gates of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
Grace E. Cunningham had been coming to the Interstate 35
Visitor Control Center for several weeks to pick up her grandson after work,
according to Airman 1st Class Sean M. Jenkins.
“Cunningham is one of those people that you just want to
talk to,” Jenkins said, “so every day, she would come and I would say hello to
her.”
“I was worried because I didn’t have a sponsor and didn’t
know how I would get my grandson to Brooke Army Medical Center,” Cunningham
said. “My grandson doesn’t drive because he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder and he has autism. I couldn’t let him walk, he doesn’t know where to
go and he might get lost.”
“Senior Airman Adrienne Barriere and I worked the same shift
and one night it just happened that I was the one to assist Cunningham in
obtaining a pass,” Jenkins said.
“Jenkins greeted me when I walked up to the counter and he
was very nice,” Cunningham said. “I showed him my identification and my
daughters and my two grandchildren’s IDs as well.”
“I asked Cunningham if she was the driver,” Jenkins said.
“Jenkins told me he could only give me the pass to get
through the gate,” Cunningham said. “I needed to see if I could get everyone in
with me.”
Jenkins then asked, “Why do you need to take everyone in
with you?”
“No disrespect, but can I talk to you in private?”
Cunningham asked.
Jenkins walked from behind the counter. “I’m having a
problem,” Cunningham said. “I’m homeless.”
Jenkins said, “What do you mean, homeless?”
“Well, we’re all living in my car,” Cunningham said. “When
Barriere heard me, she started crying.”
“I couldn’t help getting emotional when I heard Cunningham
tell us she was homeless, I felt my heart was being torn out of me,” Barriere
said.
“Everything is going to be all right, but we go together as
a group,” Cunningham said. “No one gets left behind; they all depend on me.”
Jenkins said, “You always have a smile and you’re going
through all of this? Don’t worry, we’re going to help you.”
“Jenkins put everyone in the vehicle on a two-day pass so I
can take my grandson to and from work,” Cunningham said. “Every other day, I
would go back to the visitors center to get a new pass. We would talk each
time.
“Eventually, I told Jenkins, Barrier and Officer Christopher
L. Barker Jr., a security assistant with the 502d Security Forces Squadron, how
my daughter got evicted from her apartment and then how I got evicted from my
apartment.
“Jenkins seemed to get very upset about that news, but I
told him not to worry, everything should be OK,” Cunningham said.
“I gave her my number in just case she needed anything
else,” Jenkins said.
“I’m OK, my family will be alright,” Cunningham said. “I
could feel a tightness in my chest, but I knew I was not in this by myself.
These young Airmen were here to help me. They were a great support to me.
“Jenkins, Barriere and Barker would ask me if I needed food,
Cunningham said. They asked me ‘Where are you sleeping?’ They were worried
about me because it was getting cold outside.
“Barker offered to watch my car when I was in the area,”
Cunningham said.
“It just happened that I had been looking for an apartment
for myself,” Jenkins said. “I started looking for an apartment for Cunningham
as well.”
“I helped Jenkins look online for apartments suited for
senior citizens with reduced income,” Barriere said. “We would schedule
appointments to see which apartment would fit Mrs. Cunningham and her family’s
needs.”
“After some research, I was able to help Cunningham where to
look and what kind of assistance she may be able to qualify for,” Jenkins said.
“Jenkins told me about Section 8 and other housing
programs,” Cunningham said. “He even told me of other venues like SAMMinistries
where I can apply for assistance. Sure enough, I called SAMMinistries and they
were able to help me get into housing.”
“I offered to help with the move and I asked around for
help,” Jenkins said. “I found out Airman 1st Class Quytin Lewis was off and had
a truck which might come in handy.”
“Jenkins sent me a text, asking if I could help him move a
lady,” Lewis said.
“I drove Jenkins to the storage area where
Cunningham was keeping her personal belongings,” Lewis said.
“Jenkins told me about her situation and why he needed my help while we waited
for her.”
Jenkins, and Lewis met at the storage facility at 9:30 a.m.
to get all of Cunningham’s things.
“It took about two hours to move everything from storage and
into her apartment,” Lewis said.
“Without Jenkins’
suggestions, I would not have been able to find a place to live.” Cunningham said.
“I was out on the street for 9 1/2 weeks.
“A few days later, Jenkins had asked me to go to lunch,”
Cunningham said. “I couldn’t, because this time of the year, I wrap presents
for foster children at the Bair Foundation.
“Jenkins suggested I check with Barriere to see if they
wanted to go with me to wrap gifts,” Cunningham said.
“I texted Barriere to see if she wanted to help and she
agreed to assist with the gift wrapping and she brought along Senior Airman S.
Elizabeth Aguilar,” Jenkins said.
“I immediately jumped on board, telling Barriere that I
sincerely love to volunteer with anything to do with children,” Aguilar said.
“Collectively, we wrapped more than 200 presents that day.”
“Even after the Airmen found out that I had been homeless,
they still gave me the respect they had since the beginning,” Cunningham said.
“The Airmen never looked down on me. On the contrary, they took me in and
offered me their help. Now, I’m their Texas mom.”
“Essentially, everyone says that we helped her but it is the
other way around ... she helped us,” Aguilar said. “I believe she has made all
of us better individuals by coming into our lives.”