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Michael Spencer hasn't added a story.
My friend Walt and his little dog Dee are about to be homeless and they really need our help. Walt and his little terrier Dee are part of a growing population who live under the constant pressure of always being on the verge of homelesness. And, right now they're closer than ever and really need a leg up.
I met Walt a few months ago on my way to a flooring job I was doing up in Clarksville, TN. He was on the side of the road in a beat up old truck with a large sign that said he needed a job, "any job". I drove right by him at first, I could've used some help on the job I was doing but I thought "a guy on the side of the road with a sign? I don't think so." But the further I drove, the more I felt compelled to turn around. A mile or two down the road, that's exactly what I did. I thought to myself that when we see someone in need, we tend to think that "someone will stop and help". But if everyone thought that then no one would ever do anything.
When I got back to the spot where he was sitting, I got out of my vehicle and introduced myself. I told him about the job I was working on and he was happy to have the chance at some work. We talked for a few minutes and I learned that he did his best to support himself as a freelance handyman and was a plumber by trade. He and his little terrier Dee lived in a small camper on a site by the dam that's owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. He volunteered for them ten hours a week and in exchange he got his campsite with water and power. He had to stay close to the dam that day but we arranged for him to come work with me the following day.
We worked together laying flooring all day and I got to know him and like him quite a bit. He's an honest, hard-working man who lost his job during the recession and soon found himself sliding downhill. Without any family left anywhere there just wasn't anyone to turn to and he slowly began losing everything. The last things he had left were his dog, a small camper and a dilapidated old pick-up. His situation was far from ideal to say the least, but as long as he had a place to park his camper and could earn enough for food, gas and propane for hot water and cooking he considered himself blessed.
After we finished that flooring job, Walt and I became good friends. We would have him and Dee over from time to time for cookouts and when I saw him at his spot as I was out and about I would stop to talk with him for a bit. Everything was copasetic until Labor Day began to approach. That's when the Corps of Engineers informed him that after Labor Day weekend they would have to shut down for the winter due to budget cuts. Which meant that He and Dee had to find a new place to put their home. I did what I could to help him find a similar situation but there was none to be had. He and Dee ended up at a campground in Lebanon, TN which isn't a bad place necessarily but at $350 a month it's extremely difficult for someone in Walt's situation to maintain. October's rent was paid when he moved in but as his work slowed down for the winter and November's rent got closer to being due, It became clear that he wasn't going to have it. He was able to scrape together $100 to give them but that meant that they now switched him to weekly rent at $140/week which is nearly double what he had to come up with monthly. He and I spoke this evening. He's out of money, out of food, out of gas and quickly running out of hope. I'm able to help with a little food and gas but not much else.
Walt would like more than anything to be able to get back into a real job, but his situation has gotten to the point where he doesn't have the resources to survive while waiting for his first paycheck. It's a genuine rock and a hard place situation. That's where I'm hoping together we can make a real difference in his life. If we could raise enough for him to live on for a few weeks, he'd be able to get a real job and get himself back on some solid footing. I figure it would take about $1000. If I can get everyone who reads this to give even a few dollars, we could reach that goal in no time.
If you feel like I do, that no one should have to be alone in this world. And that even if we can't help everyone, it's a blessing to be able to make a real difference in the life of one man and his beloved dog. Please give whatever you can so that together we can make that difference in the lives of Walt and Dee. Thank you.
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