A Home in Time for the Holidays
Mr. Lopez-Garcia, a 71-year-old Veteran, and his 63-year-old wife, Mrs. Lopez, had been sleeping outside for almost a year. A family member causing problems in their home forced the couple to leave so that they would not receive an eviction notice.
Mychal, a member of Share’s Outreach team, met them living in a tent along the Mill Plain sound wall. Both had medical conditions and were really struggling outside.
“It is hard enough living on the streets but it’s even harder when we spend what little income we have on buying things to make it easier, only to have it ripped away when you return from a doctor appointment.”
Mychal quickly acted to provide them with basic needs and camping supplies. The couple had a housing voucher but when they tried to look for places on their own, they were told to do it online. With their age and circumstances, they did not know how to apply online, barely able to operate their own phones. With their housing voucher about to expire, Mychal stepped in to help them get an extension.
In the meantime, Mychal secured an Outreach Motel Voucher to move them into a motel for three days while they continued to search for a permanent place to live. But while in the motel, Mr. Lopez-Garcia suffered a heart attack and was transported to the hospital. Mrs. Lopez does not see well and relies on her husband to help her. Mychal was able to help extend their stay by collaborating with Council for the Homeless to ensure her safety as well as helping him recuperate for a day once he was released from the hospital.
The couple soon found a place they would like to call home and applied through Outreach House Bill funds thanks to a grant from Clark County Community Services.
Although initially denied due to a low credit score, Mychal advocated to appeal the denial and negotiate on behalf of the couple for property management to reconsider.
They were ultimately approved and, with more help from Outreach funds to cover their move-in costs, Mr. Lopez-Garcia and Mrs. Lopez moved in immediately. Their move-in day was complete with a Welcome Home Kit put together by Share volunteers, including household items such as dishes, silverware, glasses, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, kitchen towels, dish soap, bath towels, cleaning supplies and more.
“Mychal did everything in a timely manner, keeping us informed with everystep. We were treated with respect in every way possible. We are so thankful for everything Share did to give us a hand-up in our time of need.”
