Without your help, more people would die on the streets...

Peggy and Bud were long-time alcoholics. Peggy was so far gone her liver had shut down. Once your liver shuts down, your body doesn’t have a way to get rid of toxins, explains Gladys Amavizca, Clinic Manager of the Mission’s Mobile Medical Clinic. Essentially, your body becomes a cesspool. That’s what happened to Peggy. Her legs were swollen horribly and her skin erupted with rashes. Sometimes, she would end up in the ER when things got especially bad. But most times, she would just visit our medical vehicle to refill prescriptions or ask advice.

For example, one of the prescriptions she was taking made her urinate often. But when you’re homeless, it’s hard to find a restroom. Even when she did, her legs were so swollen that it was hard to walk. Often she didn’t make it on time. So she stopped taking her medication. Peggy knew her days were numbered, but she would come by just to talk and pray.

One day, she and her boyfriend accepted the Lord. They started going to church. But it was hard to change after so many years on the street. She ended up dying in hospice. During her last days, her faith had been a comfort to her, Bud told us. Two months later, we got a call from the coroner. Bud was dead. The coroner had found our address on him and wanted information on next of kin. Sadly, we didn’t have any.

The coroner’s call is often how we find out that our patients have died on the streets. Gladys says that’s a call you never get used to. She cares about her patients, even if there’s little she can do to help. Since patients are often reluctant to give us any family information, the coroner usually has no way to notify next-of-kin. So the bodies of the homeless just sit in the morgue. In a way, we serve as their family. Even if everyone else has shut them out, we are there to care for them to the very end. And to mourn after they’re gone. Such sad outcomes motivate us to work even harder to reach every hurting soul we can. Because sometimes, we get to rejoice over the victories that come!

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, “I never imagined I could end up homeless. It all happened so quickly.” Robin Dixon was not expecting trouble. She held down two jobs as a certified caregiver in order to support her three boys. Life wasn’t easy, but she was making it. Then her father was diagnosed with cancer. Without health insurance, the bills overwhelmed him as quickly as the disease. He needed full-time home care. So Robin quit one of her jobs and moved in to help her parents. Soon, they were all in financial trouble.

Physically, emotionally and financially drained, her parents ended up in a motel for homeless people. But it wasn’t big enough for Robin and her children. Now, they were homeless. Robin tried hard to hide her stress and fear from her boys, but she quickly slid into depression.

The good news? Because people like you care about your neighbors, the Mission’s Strong Beginnings Program was there to step in. We were able to help Robin and her boys with food, clothes and referrals. We also helped her save up enough to move into her own two-bedroom apartment! Thank you. This could have been the beginning of a lost family. Instead, hope was restored. Please keep giving. It makes a world of difference!

In His Service,

Jim Palmer & Staff

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