Welcome to the “People of Pillars: A Portrait Gallery.” Every weekday in December, we will be sharing a portrait of an individual or individuals receiving services from Pillars as clients, tenants, or program participants. This gallery is an opportunity for the community to learn more about what the reality of homelessness is in the Fox Valley from those with lived experience.
It is important to note that all of the individuals featured in this gallery participated voluntarily and are willingly sharing their stories with you; however, their names have been changed to protect their privacy. Any statements, views, and opinions shared by these individuals are their own and are not endorsed by Pillars in any way. Conversations with these individuals were captured on Tuesday, November 2, 2022. Additional follow-up information about their journey to housing may be added separately as needed to bring their story up-to-date.
Kyle*
Kyle* came to Pillars Adult & Family Shelter earlier this year. “When I came [to Pillars], I didn’t have nothing. I had two pairs of shorts, two shirts, and my book bag just in case. I wanted to travel light. I put all my stuff in storage. This is such a pretty city. People here speak [to each other]. The atmosphere is so cool. [...] I’ve been here 52 days. I’m originally from Milwaukee. When I was 50, they said I had to be 55 to get into low-income housing. When I turned 55, they said I had to be 60. When I turned 60, they said you have to be 62. I was trying to get into one of the senior citizen buildings there, but I wasn’t old enough. I started calling around to centers, and I came across this one guy. I said, 'Everywhere I’m calling, they’re all saying the same thing.' He said, 'I’m just going to be honest with you. You have to be 62 years old. Senior citizen in Milwaukee means 62.' At that time, I was 60. I said, 'I’m going to be 61 in a couple of months.' He said, 'Mandatory. I don’t care who you call. If you’re not 62, you’re not getting in.' That knocked me out of the box. [...] Where I was living, the arrangements when I first got there, I was helping him get his house together. Later on, when the house was almost going to be complete, he started saying, 'I’m going to turn this into a rooming house.' I was like, 'I don’t deal with rooming houses.' I’ve been in a rooming house like that before where everyone was drunked out and cracked out. They would break in your room when you go to work and you leave and your room is broken into and all of your stuff is gone. So, I didn’t want to go through that no more.” (Photo Credit: Adam Hilbelink, November 2, 2022) Since this conversation, Kyle has submitted paperwork for housing and is waiting for his application to be processed. *The name of the client in this story has been changed to protect his privacy.
