For Rifai, the key to getting clients to open up is to simply ask: what is your story?<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause for most people, nobody has ever asked them that,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m not distracted by his appearance, how he’s dressed. I just listen to the person’s story, words, and I really feel the internal person, not the other external distractions. And everyone has a story.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his hour-plus commute from his home in Washington Heights to the shelter, Rifai often thinks about why some New Yorkers remain unsheltered. Policies that treat the homeless like criminals should be abolished, he said. The city and state should add a lot more supportive housing that is easily attainable. And housing vouchers should last more than five years, he added.<\/p>\n
Suleiman starts his day at the shelter at 7:00am each day. Once he arrives, he checks in with the night staff to find out what happened overnight. Then he uses a screen reader, or an assisted device called JAWS, to read emails and incident reports. He writes his own notes in braille and meets\u00a0with clients until 3:00pm.<\/p>\n
![\"img_6753\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_6753.JPG;w=960.jpeg\"\/)
\nSuleiman Rifai and his running shoes. Photo: Kaya Laterman for BK Reader
<\/p>\n
He says most men who stop by his office are ready to open up about something, whether it’s a criticism of the long wait for housing or other things on their mind. He emphasizes his office as a safe space, a room to unload.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ultimate goal is to make everyone feel comfortable,\u201d he said. \u201cI tell them to be themselves, there is no judgment, and that there\u2019s only compassion here.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a moment, Suleiman added: \u201cMany men have shed tears here.\u201d<\/p>\n
To sustain his own health, Suleiman runs. His interest in the sport started when someone from Achilles International<\/a>, a nonprofit organization that provides athletic services for disabled people, approached him to ask him if he wanted to join a track club.<\/p>\n He often laces his running shoes at the end of the workday and meets friends in Central Park before heading home. An avid marathon runner, he recently completed the Paris Marathon in six hours. (His PR is 3:43:39 at the Boston Marathon).<\/p>\n He often asks his marathon guides to describe the scene while running, but he can feel the vibe\u00a0of the crowd himself.<\/p>\n “Paris has a reserved energy, while New York is rowdy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Tapping into attributes that helps him run long distances, Suleiman has an unyielding well of dedication, patience and perseverance to help the homeless find focus in their sometimes chaotic lives. He says his own self worth came from staff at the Lighthouse Guild<\/a>, an organization that provides vision care, rehabilitation, and support services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Every tool he was taught there made him feel stronger, he said. Eventually he went to college and gained his master\u2019s degree from Adelphi University.<\/p>\n