Savior of a Lost Soul
Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2010
by James Banner
According to a CNN article about foreclosures, there were 372,445 foreclosure auctions within July, August, and September, while 288,345 properties were repossessed by lenders during the same period. Foreclosure is real, whether we choose to give in to it, but for some people it has already happened unfortunately. I have gratitude and empathy towards those who are struggling through hard times.
I have a true story to share.
There is a woman, which we will call her Sue, who lost her home for reasons other than primarily financial, but emotional health was a critical factor as well.
Sue had emotional health issues that triggered a domino effect of downfalls in this moment of her life. Her Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, that was once controlled, reached the surface to not only have her lose her home, but job as well. She filed a claim with Veterans Affairs and over a wait time of several months, she was diagnosed as having the condition.
Sue has several children who were split up suddenly due to the home foreclosure. She has a boy, a girl and an unfortunate miscarriage. Her son was moved to New York with I believe his grandmother, and the girl with her biological dad. Now the dad is seeking full custody rights of his daughter due to Sue's condition. According to her doctor, she is not able to work at this time. Her VA benefits are soon to arrive within several weeks before she will be able to get back on her feet.
She will then look for housing, for her son and daughter, if the custody suit is dropped for the daughter. From what I have seen so far, she is not doing well. It's very stressful to know that someone has been living a vehicle literally. The temperature is fair during the day but drops to about 40-50 degrees at night.
By now you've guessed that that Sue was in the military and served honorably during that time. She is also a part of a fraternity, not sure of the name right off hand. She is a great person, but just happened to have a condition that was beyond her control. Her meds seem to keep her calm, which I haven't seen her take, unless she quietly consumes them.
Once Dave discovered that Sue is homeless, he devised a plan to help Sue. He offers her a place of refuge at his home, signs a notarized document allowing the son to live and attend school in the area, while providing food, water, shelter, and clothing until Sue gets back on her feet. If that is not a savior, then I don't know what is.
This Article has been viewed 1,122 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)That's such a heartbreaking and moving story. I saw an Oprah show where Lisa Ling had interviewed a lot of people who were destitute, and it was different for different people, but the common thread was what that destitution does to a person, how it absolutely strips them at a core level.People make such quick judgments, and I often hear "why don't they pull themselves together". I want to say "why you put yourself in their shoes, then you'll understand".Thanks for sharing this.Yes, when this story ran across my radar, I had so much empathy for the woman and her children. It's hard to imagine something when you're not in that situation. The levels of poverty have no boundaries at all.
I think that Dave made the right choice and it will definitely give Sue hope for the future.
My Lord. There is an impulse followed. I am amazed and astounded. Do you think more might do this? Are there legal obstacles involved?I think the only legal obstacle is this case was when the notary was signed. The notary is a legal document, so if the woman & child were not staying in Dave's home it would imply fraudelent activity. It also depends on what the notary will be used for. It was used to legally bind the woman and child residing in Dave's home. It's just my theory, although I am not a lawyer.
Yeah James, something has got to give soon.You're right and it has to happen now rather than later.
Thank you James for sharing this story. I think we need to be reminded of the good people who quietly go around sowing seeds and helping others.Yes indeed. It is a treasure knowing that there are people who care out there. :o)
I think we all once assumed that our government took good care of our service veterans- we've since learned, to our dismay, that they really receive very little, considering that they offered to give their life for this country-It's a disgrace- Good article- Thanks- Always- EllaYes, the boundaries when entering the service to go to war losing a limb etc. pays a big price back in the states. The government seems like it almost turns its back on them. I'm not saying they do, but it seems that way.
Where would we all be without the Daves of the world? Do unto others. Wonderful article James, thanks for sharing it with us.Yes, I have met a few myself taking up those duties that are other than our own. For instance, Angelina Jolie is a star, but took it upon herself to adopt children.
Nice story, well told. However, the characters might be filled out a bit, to give them more life. what did Sue look like and the children were they active, smart, neat, sloppy, etc. In other words, this woman had some really special qualities for the Good Samaritan to take her under his wing.Who is Dave? How did Dave even find her? Just trying to help.Good luck.BobSue found Dave. The children are smart and funny. Dave saw this and heard the story then he decided to do something about it. Dave is a kind hearted gentlemen who saw something in Sue that others overlooked - passion and heart and the willingness to strive for a better life. Sue is about 5'10, brown eyes, black hair, African American, sweet and kind. She has a good heart but you have to know her to believe it. Seeing is not always believing.I only gave a quick snapshot of the entire ordeal.
Hi James.
This is a sad story at the same time that it is an uplifting one. It's nice to know that there are those who will help those in need.
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
DianneYes, If I were in the same situation I would probably do the same.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.