The first time I gave money away to an addict, I didn’t know she was an addict.

All I knew was what she told me, that her son was lying dead in a morgue in New Jersey and she needed bus fare. And feeling personally like a small town Mother Theresa, I forked over $60. Of course, her son was neither in New Jersey or a morgue.

Miss Suburban Whitey was a greenhorn over her head on a strange hill in Schenectady. Everybody laughed, banged me on the back, and said “Welcome to our world.”

Crank it up 15 years later. Quest is a community service site, which simply means that we take people and offer them a chance to volunteer at our place instead of going to jail?

Sounds like a no-brainer. You know that cliché, a win-win situation. Well gee-wiz it’s more like that old con game we just discussed at the beginning of this blog. It goes like this …

“Can’t make it", "Have to go to a funeral”, “My baby’s sick”, “My mother was in a car accident”, “ I have to do something REAL important”, ”I couldn’t call you”, or the very best one, “I came and no one was here.” All accompanied by the usual graphic and colorful language.

When they do come, it’s mainly “I have a bad back”, “I don’t want to get my clothes dirty”, "I don’t do windows", and "besides I have to leave early.”

The latest was a 41-year-old woman on a mission. She had bombed out of three other agencies, and because we have this reputation of going the 200,000 extra miles to get the job done, she was sent to us.

The first two weeks were not an impressive beginning. Clever and imaginative reasons were given - actually this client had a special flair for not showing up. Then when things began to get manually testy, a rhythm began to be established, work was done, hands were shaken and I went around smirking and telling everyone “See, you just have to be consistent.”

Then came the day, a Friday I believe, when she asked to speak to me in private. She needed $8 for a co-payment for a prescription. And yup, you guessed it, good old Judy forked it over ... but asked for a receipt. Note the beginning of the saga.

Everyone said I’d be sorry, everyone said she would never come back. Teepha laughed and said, "It’s a good thing she didn’t ask for rent money. We know how you are.”

Monday rolled around and so did the no-show client, with a receipt. “Nobody ever gave me anything before,” she said “No one ever trusted me.”

So here we are, my new friend and I, she calls me “Miss Judy”. “What can I do for you Miss Judy?” she says.

And so it goes, this unlikely pair, a black recovering addict and a white woman who’s never even been drunk, working for the kids, working for the community, making it happen, making a small spot in this world a better place, a special place for love and joy.

QUEST is a community-based organization that provides a safe environment, free meals, counseling, art and recreation programs that keep Hamilton Hill children in school, out of trouble and on track for better lives. For more information on QUEST, visit www.questkids.net.