Eileen Seuter, a native Jacksonvillian, is the regional director for Catholic Charities in Jacksonville.

“I was in a band, Painting the Attic, and my friends and I also liked to do open mic nights. There was a club right over here on Monroe called Metropolis. It would get hot in there so we’d spill out into the Park.

Most of the kids who hung out at the clubs didn’t really want to interact with the homeless people in the Park, they thought it might be dangerous. We were involved in Young Life, a non-denominational Christian youth organization, and we were more inclined toward charity work and volunteering.

This was the late ’80s and early ‘90s, a time when homelessness kind of exploded, not just in Jacksonville but nationwide. The fountain was still here then. There were bars of soap in the fountain because that’s where people were washing up.

I had led a pretty sheltered life up until then. I grew up in Orange Park. I’m a Navy brat. It was incredibly eye-opening for me. After those experiences, I started volunteering at soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Eventually, I got my master’s degree in social work. When it was time for my internship placement, I said I absolutely had to go to Sulzbacher. Altogether, I’ve spent 18 years at Sulzbacher.

That experience in the Park had a profound effect on me and gave me direction. It’s been a wonderful career. It gives you a sense of purpose – that you’re having a positive effect.”

Photos by Toni Smailagic