The story that started it all...
(Witten by Dave Monroe / Founder of KZNow)

KZNow was founded recently in the fall of 2016 in Germantown, Maryland by Dave Monroe.

Although it didn't start off as an outreach service for the local homeless population, Dave's mission was very clear...

It all started off at Gunners Lake Park where Dave would go daily, park his car, and enjoy the peace and serenity of the park.  Dave always stuck to the same schedule and was at the park every day at 9 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm.  While at the park he started to meet some of the homeless people in the area while already known by the local community as someone that would help anybody with anything they needed help with.

Then one day it happened. Dave was at the park and noticed a small black and white cat coming in and out of the storm drain.  Dave felt obligated to try to help find this cat a forever home.  Dave started going to the park more often and stayed for longer periods of time to feed, monitor and hopefully catch this cat.  Dave then quickly noticed that others from his community were also feeding this cat and one, in particular, was also parking at the park looking out for the welfare of the cat.

That other person that was parking at the park with Dave was Kim.  They started chatting for hours and hours every day while coming up with some kind of plan to rescue this poor cat, winter was quickly approaching.  With the hours of conversations with Kim, Dave realized that they both shared a lot in common, love of animals was, of course, the first thing he noticed, but beyond that, they also shared a love for their community, humanity, the environment and pretty much everything except politics.  A friendship was born and it took Dave and Kim about 3 months to catch this cat, take it to the shelter and find it (now known as Miss Kitty) a safe and caring home.

After the cat was caught by another neighbor Laura and then given to Kim and taken to the shelter, it needed her forever home and not surprisingly it was Kim who quickly adopted Miss Kitty and to this very day provides Miss Kitty with a clean, warm and wonderful life.

Now that Dave and Kim were not meeting every day, Dave was introduced to another woman named Alex.  Alex was a struggling single parent of one, going to college and other things.  She needed a hand getting to places and of course, Dave stepped up and offered to help.  Another friendship was born and Dave was also soon introduced to many other women in Alex's circle that needed help.  So now Dave finds himself driving around the area 8 to 10 hours a day helping people.  During this time Dave and Alex would always find a few hours a day to visit Gunners Lake Park and hang out listening to one homeless mans' stories and his messages of belief in Jesus.

Helping Alex and her friends although time-consuming, wasn't enough for Dave.  He and Alex helped out the homeless man in the park but there were others that needed help and Dave stepped up to the plate to focus on helping others while still helping those just in general need.  Dave started then as he really has his whole life, helping those in need. Slowly his focus was centered on the homeless population of Germantown, Maryland.

Dave's lease for his apartment was ending soon and instead of moving to another apartment, renewing his lease, staying with his family in Germantown, he made a bold decision instead.  That decision was to spend as much time with the homeless as possible and to greet and meet as many members of the community as he can. It wasn't long that Kim also jumped in to fight for the homeless population by becoming a volunteer for two Montgomery County organizations that help the homeless.  So Dave and Kim were on the same mission but tackling it from two different angles.

Kim and the organizations that she worked with were trying to put a roof over the head of every homeless person in Montgomery County, but Dave's mission was to make the homeless people in Germantown more comfortable while struggling on the streets.  Dave understood that it takes time for other organizations to locate, and place each individual and quite frankly some homeless people refuse help.  But Dave's approach of being there with them and getting to know each one individually opened up an equally vital part of addressing the homeless problem, through on-site one on one counseling with each individual.

Although Dave spends countless hours with the homeless population he understands that he needs to take care of himself first if he is going to be of any use to the homeless.  As mentioned Dave has family in Germantown who support his mission along with the support of his friends, Church and the community that has for a long time (14 years in fact) relied on him.

Dave is uniquely qualified to work with and support the homeless population and run a non-profit not only because of his past experience running businesses, (2 restaurants, a computer repair company, and a web design business since 1999,) working super long hours and having been homeless himself at one time back in 1991 in Charlotte, NC, Dave brings with him some things that help him relate and communicate with the homeless.  Dave was in the military as some of the homeless people have been, and he is also a recovering alcoholic and addict which puts him in tune with some of the struggles that some are facing out there.  Dave not only does referrals to other organizations like the ones Kim works with in tackling the need to provide shelter but he also has close ties with treatment centers both in and outpatient along with other doctors and clinics that help persons with substance abuse problems and mental illness.  Not only does Dave carry with him booklets that list every AA and NA meetings in the area, if someone is too shy or reluctant to go by themselves, Dave will find the time to go with them and introduce them to people and sponsors in his network that are also there to help them.  He'll even take them to church if they ask him too.

So that brings us to today, mid-March, 2018, Getting warmer, Shelters closing or cutting back, and food banks struggling to provide food.  Time is running out and Dave's' mission has been and is becoming too much for just one man, no matter how well intended his mission and no matter how well he stretches out his time.  Dave understands that homelessness is not just a local problem but it's nationwide, worldwide even, and every homeless person is unique and has an amazing life story to tell. Every homeless veteran from any military in the world, every person suffering from a myriad of mental illnesses to the struggling addict or alcoholic, these are people, people that deserve to live a normal life, every face has a right to be heard, counseled, fed, clothed and housed and it is everyone's duty to make this happen.  Dave also understands that we are all guilty of passing by the person asking for help on the street. And 'yes' some are playing you or trying to, but most are truly in need. And every one of them has a face and a story. Sometimes you don't even need to give them anything, just listen to their story, and visit them once in awhile and listen some more and remind them that they are special.

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