Keep Your Head Up: A Veteran’s Story of Determination

Charlene Welch, Council for the Homeless

When the US economy took a turn for the worse in 2009, John Gibson, a military Veteran and computer engineer in Southern California found himself without a job. The company he worked for was bought and his 401K was gone for good. Soon after, John lost his home and began living in his car while he tried to create a path forward.

When a new start in Pennsylvania led back to homelessness, John’s adult daughter who lives in Clark County, encouraged him to come to Washington. After John’s move, she became a key advocate for him and researched assistance for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Her research quickly led her and John to Council for the Homeless and our Veteran-focused staff member Scott.

John is now housed in his own apartment. He is open to sharing his lived experience, hoping it will benefit others.

What was it like to live in your car? How did it feel?

The most challenging part was finding a place to park overnight. But overall, I managed fine because I knew this experience would be temporary. This was not the rest of my life. I have been through hard times before and I believed I would get through this.

Where did you get your positive mindset?

My mother raised us to be friendly, positive, and with strong family values. Smile and say hello. I grew up around extended family and they had a similar way of living, so I saw it all the time growing up.

Your daughter encouraged you to call Scott at Council for the Homeless. What was that first phone call like for you?

It is somewhat hard to accept help and advice from my daughter. I’m supposed to take care of her! But she is strong and smart and gave me the phone number. I knew right away that working with Scott would not be like any other system I worked with before. He was authentic and treated me with decency. He returned my calls promptly and most of all, did not pre-judge me. The first time we talked, it felt like putting oil in a car that is on empty. The oil level rising is like the relief I felt. A slow easing of the friction in the situation.

How did Scott and Council for the Homeless help you?

Scott coordinated everything for me and I did everything he said to do as fast as I could. I made phone calls, filled out forms, and was able to get a Veteran Housing Voucher for a new apartment. I worked with Scott, the Veteran’s Assistance Center, and Partners in Careers. Everyone was great. Scott was my guide and partner for sure. He told me he knew what I was going through. I learned he is a Veteran and had been homeless. This helped me feel like he understood how hard it is to ask for help.

What are your hopes for the future?

I am an author and non-fiction writing is my passion. I have published two novels and am currently working on a third. Keeping my apartment and my health, living near my daughter, and writing are what I care about. My novels, Track Three and Dummy, are suspense thrillers and they are on Amazon.

What advice do you give for someone facing homelessness?

Keep your head up. This is not your life. It is not permanent. Don’t let it paralyze you. Find an agency with resources like Council for the Homeless. There is help for Veterans. Keep moving one foot in front of the other.

What is something you wish for general community members to know about people experiencing homelessness?

Above all, be decent to people. Kindness does not cost anything. Your smile may be the only smile someone sees in a day. You just never know. Have empathy even if you have not experienced exactly what the other person is going through. We are all human.