Dean Martin once sang a song with lyrics claiming he had his love to keep him warm, and it seems no truer words have been spoken for Virgil and Terry, an elderly couple that have lived in between motels and the actual streets of Orange County for more than 13 years.
They accepted the hospitable offer of First Southern Baptist Church to take up temporary residence, but as time progressed and no new opportunities arose, were asked to leave. They recently went back to the life they knew, resuming the circumstances they had previously known with little hope of any significant change–until now.
CityNet, a nonprofit based in Orange County that aims to work with others in the community to offer the homeless population with housing and wellness options, was made aware of this couple’s situation and immediately got to work to find a solution. Jennifer, collaborative case manager for the humanitarian organization got to know the couple closely and was able to identify their greatest needs and challenges to begin the search for a residence that would fit like a glove.
Eastside caught wind of CityNet’s efforts with this distressed pair and joined in with other faith communities to raise funds on their behalf. Not long after, Jennifer was able to locate a senior living complex in Riverside that suited Virgil and Terry’s needs implicitly as well as their desires; the nomadic couple would soon have a kind of shelter they’d never known was possible to attain.
In addition to discovering a perfect community to transition to, the finances raised between ECC and surrounding churches provided for the couple’s deposit–enabling them to move without concern or financial burden.
This destitute story was turned to one of hope and deliverance due to the true teamwork and collaboration of folks with hearts set on filling the needs of those in their communities! Thank you for your efforts in making a paramount difference in the lives of two people who might have never otherwise experienced being home for good.