
Meet Linda and her loving memory of Sonny,
Her story started with two words in a single message “I’m homeless”. We respond with a hello and the messages slowly continue back and forth as some tentative trust was built. It took some time to build these bridges, but we eventually learned her name was Linda and her story started being shared. The following is a precious story of life events and memories of her beloved Sonny. It is told not in person or on the phone, but instead it arrived by text messages over a 3 month period.
Linda started in June, “I'm just writing things down as I remember. It's been a long 62 years. I never knew that was our last day together. Had a great day and a lot of fun. We had visited my grand-daughter and spent time at her house then went on to see others because we had been gone from Pennsylvania for a long time. He was so sweet! All day he kept telling me that I was beautiful and that he loved me. I said maybe u need new glasses.”
She continues the emotional story, “I heard him get up, then we all hear this big boom. He had fallen so hard. Do ya know that boy brought Sonny back for a brief moment? I had no clue that it was his heart. My grandson, my poor baby. He can't seem to move on. That was his Papa, and although he tried to save him, he too, watched the life drain from his Papa’s body”.
“My life turned upside down and twisted all around. So cherish every moment that you have in your life. Cause in the blink of an eye things can change. I'll write more later. Kind of brought tears to my eyes remembering”.
The texting slowed while she was working through health issues in July but she kept in contact: “Once I got back here, I was able to function again. I think cause here is where the most recent memories of him were. It was good for the first year. I paid rent. I'll never stay anywhere unless I can pay. - August first will be a year since I have been homeless. I don't know how much more of this I can handle. I'm a strong woman, but I'm tired”.
And then story came full circle in August, “I didn't talk much about being homeless but my story should show lame ass people that it can happen to anyone. I never ever worried about becoming homeless. I raised my kids on my own and we had a home. So the people that think that their crap doesn't stink should be watching for karma, she's wicked and will give them what they deserve. Remember to cherish every single moment with those you love... We were not promised a rose garden. And when all odds are against you. Hold on to each other always”.
I felt that this story didn’t need anything else. It's all right here: trauma, grief, bereavement. Life steals from you in many ways and sadly, no one takes the time to hear other people’s stories and understand that there are many paths to being without a home. And then the path back is also not an easy one, even when you do everything right.
I deeply want to thank Linda for trusting and sharing with us a little glimpse into her life and what its been like. Can we give her some love, hope, and encouragement please?
Join us in being persistent in seeking solutions that help all parts of our community, including our unhoused neighbors. You are invited to our upcoming Walk A Mile in Our Shoes awareness walk October 6 where we can gather and get to know each other and share perspectives and hopes for better housing justice for all. Register for the event and order your fundraising t-shirt at
http://www.outsidersinn.org/index.php/walkamile
~ Ren & Adam

Meet Deborah
“Before I lost my home I wasn't doing that well. I had really been isolating and was fearful of so many people. Being here, having a purpose and learning to communicate with all the different types of people has actually made me stronger and more socially healthy.” Deborah proudly shares with us about her experience volunteering and using services at the Navigation Center.
When we first met her during the severe weather shelter season she was brand new to the situation and struggling. We understood the anger, frustration, the shock of losing everything and having to somehow pick and choose what is truly needed and what maybe isn’t so important when it all seems so terrifying to consider. Asking the questions frantically to yourself over and over: “What do I absolutely HAVE to have? What can I try to live without? Can I store something somewhere? And then feel the literal weight of how do you manage to carry what you DO decide to take with you? Debra went through all of this with her two little terriers at the end of their tangled leashes. These little dogs at the time made managing life just a little more complex and terrifying, but as we welcomed her into the safe space, we knew she was exhausted and trying the best she can.
So many people question, why do homeless people have pets? Pets are their family and sometimes their only companions. They have all lost their home at the same time. Those furry babies all of a sudden become the only priority. They also sometimes become the one thing that fuels a person to keep going.
Now a few months later we bump into her again at The Vancouver Navigation Center and her little fur family is making progress! She smiles and says hello! She agreed with us that it’s true if you are tenacious and persistent, you can eventually get some help, but it’s not always the way you would think it would happen. Debroah is currently in the women's shelter and she goes to the Navigation Center almost daily when they have to leave the shelter space so she isn’t far from a bathroom and can get other services like laundry taken care of. More importantly she has found a way to be useful and have a purpose there in that space. Deborah is known as the Coffee Lady at the Center as she keeps the warm cups of coffee flowing and the area clean and stocked.
On a recent night as the good neighbor meeting was happening, there you see Deborah and her little dogs in a stroller off to the side. This meeting was another one where some of the voices of the meeting turned angry and it became abusive towards the homeless population and those that serve them as a whole. For us to witness it all and the categorizing of a whole population in front of this sweet caring woman who was helping to serve them all coffee left us with an ache in our souls. Here was Deborah, a sweet natured woman who isn't presenting mental health issues, addiction, or any thing that someone could point to specifically for her homelessness, except maybe physical struggles and that rent is continuing to rise as incomes stay fixed. She stood there right in the mix of all this anger and controversy serving coffee and trying to smile, showing us and everyone there if they just opened their eyes that anyone could be the next person affected by homelessness. Deborah is just another example that we are all just one major life event away from losing our homes and having to face the judgement of people who have no idea how it feels to work through some of the hardest parts of your life and still remain human and connected to community.
Join us in being persistent in seeking solutions that help all parts of our community, including our unhoused neighbors. You are invited to our upcoming Walk A Mile in Our Shoes awareness walk October 6 where we can gather and get to know each other and share perspectives and hopes for better housing justice for all. Register for the event and order your fundraising t-shirt at
http://www.outsidersinn.org/index.php/walkamile
~ Ren & Adam

Meet Misty
Misty has a message to all those going through homelessness right now. She encourages others to stay strong and "don't let this sh** change you."
As she puts it, "Living on the streets is hard and you end up doing things you never thought you would do. No matter what, be true to who you are." Going on her almost 7th year of being without a home she says with experience, "I'm not homeless cause home is truly where your heart is." She admits she has struggled with addiction and continues to work hard on it all. She just recently got approved for housing assistance and is currently searching for an apartment. She told us "I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing this time. I am getting way to old for this."
We all can help unhoused neighbors re-connect to community together. Donations for a specific person or project or even a small recurring donation can help us continue to make these connections and support local Vancouver severe weather shelter projects and outreach.
~ Ren & Adam