shelterworks News from the Willis Dady Emergency Shelter
Yolisa’s Piece
Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. ~John R. Wooden
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Julie and Mike. They have been together for quite some years and, through those years, have travelled many long roads strewn with many of life’s obstacles. Some choices and some plain bad luck had led them to a place where they didn’t see themselves going. As a veteran, Mike battled with his past as well as health issues that just seemed to get worse and worse until he finally had a stroke. This took a toll on both of them and seemed to get in the way of what they were trying to do. So they moved back to Cedar Rapids so Mike could be closer to the VA Clinic and get the care that he desperately needed. Despite the battle with health and staying with relatives, not knowing when they’re time would be up, they reached out to Operation Home, in hopes that someone would finally be able to give them a chance at rebuilding what seemed to be broken. When I first met them, I was happy to work with such a polite family that knew what they had to do to get where they needed to be. Julie spent much of her time taking care of her husband; she would make his appointments, do all the calling, and find ways to get them from point A to point B. She was very open with me about her past and about the mistakes she had made that seemed to be keeping them from moving forward. Mike was also very honest about his
Summer
2014
past and his concerns. There were many days when Mike’s stroke seemed to have gotten the best of him and started chipping away at the man he once was – he was ready to have a place they could call their own and Julie was ready to have a place where she could take care of her husband and feel accomplished again, without waking up sore from sleeping on the floor or in a relatives car. It would seem that all of the things in their way would be more reason for them to give up. Knowing their transportation issues and Mike’s health issues, that prevented him from doing much walking, I assumed that much of the work to find them a home would be my responsibility. Boy was I wrong! Julie tiredly, but eagerly went to get on the bus and look for places. She would leave me messages with names and numbers of landlords she had called and would ask that I simply verify with them what the program was about and if they would accept it. She also took my advice and was truthful about her and Mike’s past. Within a couple weeks they had found a landlord willing to rent to them and who was more than open to the idea of working with the program. They now have a signed lease and the key to their new home, which has also brought a renewed sense of hope and the push they needed to keep going. They repeatedly thank me for everything I’ve done, but the joy is that they did the work on their own and I must remind them how far they’ve come and how much they should be proud of themselves. Note: Yolisa Gibson has been on the staff of Willis Dady since 2012. She is a Veteran Advocate with the Operation Home program and a Resident Attendant at the shelter. She can be contacted at wdesra2@willisdady.org 319 362-7555 ext. 107.
Willis Dady Emergency Shelter Board of Directors James Locke, Treasurer Kay Henry Janet Slimak, President Rebecca Jacobs, Vice President Tim Carson Sam Jones Melissa Cullum Bobette Ash, Secretary Clay McBride
Dave McInally Theresa Ann Trimble Jason Vestweber
Charisma Wickham Tim Wilson, Executive Director