Earnest Coer

Earnest is a gentle soul with a child-like demeanor; a mix of pleasant chatter and innocence. As I walked into Woodruff Park looking for individuals to talk with about my Art as Ministry initiative Earnest approached me and asked, “Can you get me some coffee and donuts?” I said I could get him some lunch instead and we agreed on Moe’s. He pointed at my coffee and asked if he could have it, which I politely declined with a chuckle.

I returned and sat down with Earnest to learn about his story, but he kept things quite vague saying that, “They chased him away from his work and he has no work now.” I asked how long he has been in Atlanta and he replied in a soft half whisper, “Naw naw man… Atlanta is way down south from here. Atlanta is way down south.” He took a pause from eating to reprimand a nonexistent entity to his left, then we continued without skipping a beat. He understood my project and agreed to participate.

Ministry: 50% of the sale price will be loaded to a prepaid card and presented to Earnest to help with food, shelter, and finances.