Andre House is only two blocks from Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), the major shelter in Phoenix. Many of the volunteers have never been, so we decide to swing by. Gabe guides us through the campus and identifies the dentist, the AA building, the shelter, and so on. In truth, he doesn't seem entirely comfortable leading us around, so I decide to keep the visit short. We take a single lap around the front yard, which consists of about 50 people sitting at tables placed on plastic grass turf. 75 to 100 more people are on the streets and sidewalks outside the shelter.
CASS is a story for a different day. Suffice it to say that while CASS is the largest and most comprehensive service to homeless persons, it has something of a draconian reputation. Gabe has a second explanation of the acronym: Corrupt Association of Shelter Services.
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