Philly's Oldest Shelter Resident Leaving Soon To Be Reunited With Children
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Approaching his 85th birthday, Sam Foster is the oldest person in Philadelphia's shelter system, but he'll soon be leaving to be reunited with his son in England, a happy ending -- made possible by the tireless effort of social workers at the non-profit Resources for Human Development -- to a long and often difficult journey.
"I was a lost man," he says, with a distinct Jamaican accent. "Without their help, I couldn't make it out of here."
Foster was born in Jamaica when it was still a British colony so he was, technically, English, which allowed him to emigrate there when he was 28.
He learned mechanics, married and had a son but the marriage didn't last.
Already nearing middle age, he set out for America, landing first in New York, then drawn to Philadelphia in 1987 by cheaper business expenses. He says he ran an auto repair shop out of a garage on N. 61st for five years before an accident started a cascade of troubles that led him to bankruptcy.
He managed to stave off homelessness until 2008, when, he says, the friend he was staying with asked him to leave.
He landed at the Ridge Avenue shelter, which might be viewed as a blessing in disguise. There, he met Julius Jackson and Sheena High, who began the search for his son.
"I was away so long, I lost touch with everybody, everybody," says Foster. "But (Jackson and High), they come and make me a man again. So I'm grateful for that."
Jackson and High not only reconnected Foster with his son, they helped him get a Jamaican passport-- no easy matter-- and raised money for his air fare so he could make the trip. Then they discovered he needed a visa to travel to England, another lengthy process that has delayed his departure.
Foster says he has a pension waiting for him in England, and some money from the sale of the house he left with his ex-wife.
But by far the most important thing to him is seeing his son again and meeting his grandchildren. His son has sent him pictures, which he proudly shares with anyone who's interested.
"I don't see one of them since they're born," he says. "I'm very glad to go and see them. I love America but I want to see them first, if I die. And I thank everyone who helped me. I can never pay the price."
