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.