Bernard is one of the tenants at A Home's Snapfinger house, and he is allowing us to share his story of how he came to live there. He has asked us to use his middle name.
Bernard's road to Snapfinger began when he was wrongfully terminated and illegally evicted from his previous apartment. When he was evicted, he said they disposed of all his things. He has been in a legal battle ever since and had been sleeping in his truck for five months before hearing about “A Home” through Threshold Ministries of Decatur Presbyterian Church.
“I am thankful to be living in this house! Attitude is gratitude. It’s better than sleeping in my truck,” he says. “It made me feel great when I found this place! It was God’s work. I was glad to be out of that truck! “
Bernard was grateful for the shelter his truck provided him. “When it rains or when it’s cold, you have shelter and you don’t have to sleep on the ground. This place (the Snapfinger house) is the best bang for my buck because I rely on SSI (supplemental security income). I’m able to pay my insurance, pay some bills, and make do. Considering my situation, I was using my credit cards to live off of. It’s called sacrifice. When you’re on a fixed income, you always have to sacrifice and save. I still make do.“
After months of living in his truck, he came to really appreciate having a place to lay his head down and be able to take a shower. “I can function so much better with less stress," he said.
“I left home at 13 and now I’m 42, so I know how to take care of myself and I’m very proactive. I’ve been under a lot of stress because of this situation. It’s difficult for me mentally, but now I have some place to lay my head, so I’m grateful. Most people don’t have a truck or a license or haven’t been places.”
"Having to take sink baths at stores is really embarrassing. I was basically wearing the same thing for 2-3 months. I’m not used to that. I was so used to being well dressed every day and they took all that from me.”
Bernard is doing all he can, every day to find the resources to turn his situation around.
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