If you live on the South Side of Columbus, it’s probably safe to say that you have met Bob (87 yrs old) or at least seen him walking all over the South Side and volunteering at all of the events. You may have also seen Matthew (77 yrs old), Bob’s roommate for many years, doing his daily duty of feeding cats all over the South Side. Matthew has also been in the business of trapping/neutering/releasing cats for over 15 years now and is devoted to taking care of cats overall. So, why are we introducing them to you? Well, Rada and I have had the pleasure of getting to know Bob over the last several years, and in the last year have gotten to know Matthew as well, and they both need your help.

We have always connected with Bob, as we would see him walking around constantly or through the events on the South Side (we have encouraged him to get a phone but he always cracks a sarcastic joke about it ). Right at the start of the pandemic, I saw the house they lived in go up for sale and in the description the listing agent wrote…” The tenant was placed in the home last year. His lease is up…. Looking for a quick cash close”. Unfortunately, this was not true as Bob and Matthew have been living in that house for at least 5 years. Fast forward to November 2020, I received a call from a good neighborhood friend saying that Bob had just stopped by her house asking for our address. Minutes later Bob appeared on our porch.

Bob told us that his landlord sold their house and the new owner evicted them. Bob was living in the VA Shelter and Matthew spent all the money that he had to buy a van (that’s falling apart) so that he can live in it, take care of his three cats and get around to feed many stray cats that have depended on him (in the area of Merion Village to the Great Southern Shopping Center). Up until this point, Matthew has been parking behind their old house sheltering the cats in his van at night and making his rounds to feed the strays every day. Since November we have shared many conversations with them, a number of get togethers, checking in and making sure they are okay. What has been so very humbling is that every time we ask how they are or if they need anything they always respond with “I don’t have much to complain about”.

Since the beginning of hearing about their eviction, we have been trying to find a place for them to live, where they can live together in a safe, clean and supported environment, that is close to the southside that they call home. We have checked in with organizations and their case managers to understand possibilities, and unfortunately there were a number of challenges in getting them moved in together, as well as the issue of Matthew’s cats (most places will not allow that many pets). Being a real estate agent, it was easy for me to get a search set up and for us and check out many houses that have come up for sale. Unfortunately, those houses needed too much repair and/or were in areas where safety would have been a big concern for two elderly guys. We were trying not to get discouraged as we were heading towards the end of summer and a little universal intervention happened on August 9th when I put a plea out to all my Facebook friends asking if they knew of anything off market. We had a good list of homes to go see from folks who messaged me, and as I was heading out the door that day, a coming soon popped up without any pictures. I added it to my list and drove by that afternoon. As soon as I saw the house, I knew that it was the perfect house for Bob and Matthew. I took a picture and sent it to Rada who said that we need to see it right away! After driving by and checking out the area (assessing for safety, transportation needs nearby, etc.) we took a leap of faith and wrote a curb offer hoping to beat anyone else out before pictures were added. After that we spent a very hopeful and stressful three days waiting for the owners to give us an answer. Finally, that acceptance came on Thursday of that week, and we were able to get in there and see it on Saturday morning with Bob and Matthew, to make sure they would like to live there. The house overall is in great shape although does need some TLC and a few repairs. The great news is that we close on 9/10, and hope to do a quick turnaround with cleaning. painting and repairs, so that we can have Bob and Mathew move in on 9/15.

We are posting this because although beds and most household items that Bob and Matthew need will be donated from the furniture bank and Volunteers of America, we are hoping to help them out with additional necessities that won’t be provided. Things that we would like to provide include food (stocking the fridge), cleaning supplies, simple patio furniture, and a washer and dryer. We would also love to raise enough money to get them each a recliner, as it would be helpful for their legs. Please know that all of the money collected will be used for them and their necessities. All the updates for the home will be provided by us. Any money that would be left over will go towards cat food, litter, and a new van fund, as Matthew is constantly putting hundreds of dollars in his van to keep it running. Down the road we would also like to build Matthew an outdoor cat barn and get Bob a workbench as he loves tinkering with things!

Every little bit helps, and if you have an item to donate, please let us know and we can check with them to see if they need it. We appreciate you all and look forward to sharing pictures and information with you throughout this journey!

We will be withdrawing the funds and assisting Bob and Matthew with purchasing the items. We will not be handing over cash.