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" Please read our story. Things are much better now, but we are still struggling to get a place to live and transportation. We wish to keep our whole story here for others to have hope and faith. Please read our updates and follow how with the aid of angels in our lives, we've managed to patiently and persistently remain positive and move forward. Thank you to all for your love and kindness. Your giving is a blessing counted! "

We are Dennis & Mary,
in Charleston, SC on the street with no money, food, gas, a place to shower or enough clothes. Everything we’ve worked so hard for in recovery is about to be lost through no fault of our own. New career level jobs coming up (that we have been interviewing for since early this January), belongings in two storage units, both cell phones, car, car insurance, bank account and a new place to live are slipping away. Not to mention, rubbing salt in a wound, Dennis’ moped to get to work was stolen at a hotel during all this in broad daylight.

What happened?
Over the past 9 months we’ve had to relocate 7 times. The condo we rented for almost 2 years was sold and in less than 30 days. We put everything in storage with movers and had to rent a room from someone. The room situation in a subdivided 4 room home was full of bugs,  had a shared bathroom and kitchen and was way too expensive. Then, for 3 months we rented another cockroach infested room from a man who was physically violent toward Dennis, unpredictable about rent/utilities and has a criminal registered offender past. We posted on CraigsList  (now we realize how volatile and dangerous CraigsList can truly be) for a room to rent and an older couple (Natalie and Herb Jordan, 1028 College Park Rd) found us. We moved into their double wide trailer and within a month, as Mary was working 2 jobs and I was starting 2 new jobs, the woman was verbally/physically abusive,  threatening Mary, and one morning illegally gave us only 8 hours to get out! We had to leave thousands of dollars of our belongings, tightly packed one car load and late in the night stayed at a hotel. Thinking we were able to return the next day for another car load to take to the hotel, we were informed at 7:20 am we had until 9 am to get our stuff or it would be “thrown out.” Following every legal and police supported rule, we returned with a police  escort and were informed everything was thrown out: hundreds of dollars in food, many kitchen items, our clothes, toiletries, family pictures, my laptop, electronics, supplies, jewelry and accessories. We’ve appealed to the highest courts since then over 3 months and are awaiting small claims. We were in a hotel 32 nights, two weekly extended stay places over 2 months and now in our car for the last 2 weeks. All the while we’ve lost jobs and had to search for others due to location, transportation and living changes.

So, now we have multiple employment opportunities scheduled to start over the next couple of months, but it almost seems pointless living out of a car, few clothes for work and begging for food, gas and a place to shower.

What’s the solution?
Given the opportunity of some time and a bridge financially, we could put the funds up to rent space from the right(sane) person, settle in, have food for good meals both at home and to take to double jobs, get a used moped so Dennis can again be independently mobile, and get the bills current. Only then can we fulfill our primary purpose of focusing on a Christian life, maintaining our recovery, enjoying gainful careers and giving back to others.

To all of you God has put in our path…
We have been so blessed in so many ways by both Angels and guidance. Whether it’s been the last dollar of change in a pocket, $100 to make sure we had a roof and shower for the night, coffee at the gas station in the morning, managers preparing meals at fast food for us, or simply and importantly, all the people sharing their stories like ours, how they rose above it and that prayers do work!

We soooo appreciate and revere all that we’ve received in every way from everyone and hope our story here will inspire and support others. We will be posting updates as regularly as we can at McDonald’s, Starbucks, the Library or wherever we can get a signal to tell you how our journey is going and the paths we’ve taken.

Thank you, thank YOU and THANK YOU to everyone, for everything. If you simply sat still for a moment to read this, I pray our story has encouraged your faith as ours is what nudges us along each day!

God bless!
Dennis & Mary