Our friend George, and why we want to help him

My name is Frank Joseph. Our friend's name is George Kramer. He is homeless on a cold winter night. He was living out of his car until it was towed the other day, with all his possessions inside. Now he is destitute, without family or friends except us. More about that in a moment.

George lived in the Washington DC suburbs, as do we. But when things got bad he relocated to Hagerstown MD, a rundown town 74 miles away. He thought it would be cheaper to live there, and it is, but social services are lousy too. It will cost $700+ to get George's car towed and the rate goes up $50 each day. He can't drive it anyway because he has no money to renew the registration. He tried to get into three shelters but none had a bed for him. He's trying to get other social services but so far his caseworker hasn't called back. Even if she had, he might have missed the call; he has no place to charge his phone so it's off most of the time.

We've known George for years -- years when he wasn't homeless, when he was making good money as a master carpenter. His skills are extraordinary and not just with woodworking; he can fix anything around the house. He made furniture for us, stairway railings, many other things.

Then his bad back, a constant companion, started getting worse -- so bad he could hardly work. He was down to occasional handyman jobs while he sought back care. But any care is hard to find when you don't have health insurance.

George was more than a tradesman to us. He was a friend. He's a very smart guy, fun to talk to (and argue with). His opinions on public affairs always are worth hearing. He can go on at length about investing and the stock market. And when the talk turns to his beloved Washington Nationals, his knowledge is bottomless.

But now, what with his back and other maladies, work is impossible. He was compelled to take Social Security at age 62 though the monthly payment is too small to live on; now he's stuck with it. He had a few thousand dollars but that didn't last long. His food stamps got boosted $1,500 due to COVID, but COVID ended and so did food stamps -- entirely. It took 11 months to get them back ... months when he dropped from 170 to 128 on a 6-foot frame ... fainted from hunger in a gas station and was rushed to an emergency room ... then fainted again in that same gas station and went to the same ER. Now he has nothing but food stamps, a meager Social Security check, and the clothes on his back: no cash, no pension, no wages, nada.

That's where things stand. George can't retrieve his car, his "home," with all his possessions inside -- his meds, his ID, his very clothes. He still can't get into a shelter. He still can't reach his social worker. Temps dropped to 24 degrees overnight. We got him a hotel for a few nights but we're on a fixed income ourselves. He needs a longer-term solution.

That's where you come in.

Please find it in your heart to donate to this GoFundMe. We promise to give every penny to George; we won't keep a cent. Just $10,000 or so. It won't make him rich; nothing could. But it may buy enough time for George to get back his car, his possessions ... track down his social worker ... find a better, warmer, safer place to live than the back seat of an old Toyota Camry. Time for him to get his life onto a firmer footing, to get back his dignity. That's really all he needs.