Robert (Russell) R. DePhillips in his own words

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I’m 58 years old. I’ve been coming to GLIDE to get my meals for nearly eleven years. I was a former police officer for the NYPD. I later worked for the movie and TV industry in Hollywood. I was at the Trade Center on 9/11 when the planes hit. Hurricane Sandy flooded my home while I was living in New York. This was back in 2012.  

I lost everything. FEMA screwed me. I lived off my savings for a year in a hotel while trying to clear things up, but wound up on the streets homeless, just before Thanksgiving. A friend of mine who was living in the Bay Area, at the time, suggested I move out to California and purchased a train ticket for me. But I struggled to find work and wound up homeless. I lived on the streets for about ten years before I could finally get some assistance from the city. I now live in an SRO.  

During that time, I found out about GLIDE’s meal services, and I’ve been coming here ever since, at least five days a week for breakfast, and sometimes for lunch and dinner. The food is good and the staff are wonderful. They are so welcoming. They know me by name now. It’s like family.  I feel I’m treated like a human being.  

If I had money in my pocket, I’d be donating to GLIDE every month. When I had money back in New York, I would donate money to organizations like Covenant House. But in all honesty, I don’t know where I’d be without GLIDE. 

I’m currently waiting for my SSI benefits to start. I’ve been suffering, but I am being patient. “