MEET CLARENCE AND THOMAS PHILLIPS
Where you find one brother, you’ll see the other beside him.
Most mornings, that’s at Juice Almighty – enjoying a cup of coffee at a table near the bouldering section, watching the route setters build new routes and test drive climbs.
“I used to climb scalpel, but I can’t climb anymore,” says Thomas, 73. “Yeah, we’re too old for that,”
Clarence, 65, says. “But we’ve made friends.”
The brothers started coming to Rox two years ago. Everyone who passes by stops for a hello, and often a longer conversation.
“Corner grocery stores are disappearing,” Thomas says. “So are spaces where people used to congregate. A lot of them are condemned.”
Rox is meaningful for this reason, the brothers say.
MEET DENISE JOHNSON
Not long ago, Denise ended up houseless, but that didn’t stop her from staying in the know about her neighborhood. One day, while walking past STAX, she looked across the street to find a number of folks standing in a line along the sidewalk. A door opened, and a smiling face invited them inside. Curious, Denise followed.
“Someone told me it was a Sundry Store,” Denise says. “I’ve been coming ever since. There’s positive people here. Everyone has a smile. They show you love. They care. The atmosphere when you walk through the door is that you’re home.”
“My heart has a home,” Denise says. “I don’t have a place to lay my head, but I have everything I need. That’s why I keep smiling. I got my life. You just find a way to make today better than yesterday.”
MEET CALVIN WILLS
A veteran who served as a first class gunner’s mate, came to Rox as a volunteer.
With nine months on the job, he rarely misses a shift. What he loves most is being able to meet people from all walks of life, learning about one another.
“A lot of people don’t have anywhere to go, and Rox gives them a place to be,” Calvin says. “This is a safe environment, where you can learn something positive. I even use some grilling and seasoning tricks I’ve picked up on my barbecue at home. You meet people from different backgrounds. I’ll tell them about my time on the seas. They’re amazed to hear my story, and I’m amazed to hear their story.”