MATT

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

MATT’S STORY

I moved up to this area with my family when my wife, at the time, got a job around here. Life was going well, but I ended up getting a divorce a few years back, which was one of the hardest things I have ever been through. At the time, I still had a really good sales job, but I lost that, and then could not make the payments on the house. So therefore I lost my home. Well, I lost my house, but ‘cause home is where the heart is’ so I’ve still got a home as long as I got a heart. So I do have a home, I just don’t have a house anymore. There’s lots of people who have houses and don’t have homes.

I’ve been homeless now for only two and a half weeks, and I don’t really think I’m dealing with it all that well, I mean, it’s very hard. It’s quite emotional for me, but you know, I’m doing the best I can. I am hanging in there, but barely.

From my story, what I want people to know is that this can happen to anybody, and it’s not necessarily anything of your own doing or addiction or anything like that. I definitely wouldn’t say homelessness is my choice, it’s just the lack of income from losing my job. So I’m pursuing that as quickly as possible and trying to make that work. Everybody’s got something to learn from, and just because someone is humble enough to ask for something doesn’t necessarily make them a bum either. It just means they’re in trouble, they need help and you should be honored that they felt like you might be the person to be able to assist them with that situation.

My dream for the future is pretty simple. Just four walls, a roof, and being able to go to sleep at night, tuck my children in, ya know have them at my house. And a job and income. That’s it. That’s all I really need ya know. I’m afraid of people seeing this and finding out about my situation, but if it helps one person to read my story and realize something, it’s worth it. And we’re all human beings but some of us are being very uncompassionate, but it’s just up to all of us just to be the best we can. And showing compassion for others is a good start at being the best we can.