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.
Donna*
Donna* is a client at Pillars Adult & Family Shelter. “This is my second time here, and I’m still homeless after three years. I have a roof over my head, but I’ve had a few that didn’t work out. I was sharing houses with people. I need to be alone. […] My job’s here in town. I deliver food part-time. I was forced into early retirement because of job shutdown due to COVID, and when my boss was getting ready to reopen up, he died from cancer. The state told me I’m old, and I need to go into early retirement. I worked for that job for 17 years, one month shy of 17 years, and I lost everything. I lost everything during 9/11, because I had a job for 13 years, and 9/11 shut the gas station I was a manager of down. They sold all of their stores in this area, so it’s like two national disasters, and I’m still trying to get my life together. […] You can’t give up, because if you give up, nobody’s going to help you anymore. You’ve got to keep fighting.” (Photo Credit: Adam Hilbelink, November 2, 2022) Today Donna* has a housing application in the final processing stages and is looking forward to signing a lease for a new home in the coming days. *The name of the client in this post has been changed to protect her privacy.
