Author to Speak at Advisory Council Meeting

Bev Clark and Molly Holmes, Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services

Richard Lemieux's empathetic book, Breakfast at Sally's, puts a vivid face on homelessness. This man loses his home, his family, his three cars and two boats, and a good business. Penniless, he takes to the streets of Bremerton, living in a beat-up van with his much-loved dog, Willow.

Lemieux quickly learns to find food and companionship at "Sally's" (The Salvation Army). Often cold and hungry, he has to beg for money for food and gasoline.

The author introduces us to a community of permanent, temporary, transient, economically fragile persons, living without a permanent home environment. This cast of characters is quirky and diverse, sometimes humorous, sometimes heart-rending. It includes people of all ages: families with young children, teenagers camping in the woods, women alone, couples, veterans.

This book shares his empathy and compassion for others in his same circumstances, without judgment and with acceptance of their eccentricities and mental conditions.

Throughout his ordeal, Lemieux keeps notes of his experiences on a rickety typewriter perched on a picnic table, at last turning the notes into this book. It reads like a novel but has the ring of truth, and the message is uplifting.

The Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services is proud to host Richard Lemieux at its Friday, July 8 meeting, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue (40th Floor). The public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Gigi Meinig at gigi.meinig@seattle.gov or 206-684-0652.

Though in high demand, Breakfast at Sally's is available to borrow through King County Library and Seattle Public Library. In addition, King County Library will host two presentations by Mr. Lemieux—one at Kenmore Library on Monday, July 25, at 7 p.m., and one at Renton Library on Saturday, August 6, at 3 p.m.