Advocate for the homeless risks it all
Article and photo by Jenny O’Donnell.
Francis “Pat” Fitzpatrick smiles in downtown Gainesville. He has lived in the area intermittently for 20 years. “Obedience is my biggest problem,” he said. Photo by Jenny O’Donnell
He’s known by some as a court jester.
To others, he’s a relentless advocate for the homeless.
To his friends, he’s just Pat.
Francis “Pat” Fitzpatrick has lived in Gainesville intermittently for over 20 years, interrupting countless city council meetings, protesting on the streets and even offering up his home all in the name of one purpose: to help those in need.
Gainesville man chooses life of homelessness and God
Article and photo by Jenny O’Donnell.
Shelby stands in front of Lunch Box Gainesville in Bo Diddley Plaza, downtown Gainesville. “I’ve lived in Gainesville for five years, and the best thing about it is the people I meet,” he said. Photo by Jenny O’Donnell
“I was working at an orange grove at Pomona Park at the time the Lord told me to leave everything behind.”
A man who only goes by the name Shelby leans forward under the dimming lights of the Lunchbox Gainesville café in Bo Diddley Plaza as he says this. His face alone reveals part of his story: His eyes are crinkled at the edges, full of wisdom though shadowed beneath a Gator baseball cap.