An elderly veteran (Gene 88) and his wife (Ernina 77) are currently homeless and need to find affordable housing in town. Gene and Ernina were evicted from their mobile home on Thursday, where they had lived for 12 years. This eviction happened after a long and exhausting battle with a California landlord, a stroke, and cancer, all while having their rent doubled over the past few years. Gene and Ernina had to stay at Loaves and Fishes Thursday night, and the next day my mom was driving them around town to look for housing, when Ernina had a heart attack. The ambulance came and took Ernina who was later flighted to Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. The next morning Gene was in rough shape. He spent the night at my mom's home and was having trouble focusing because he was so worried about his wife and because his 12 medications were locked away in his mobile home. I brought Gene up to visit Ernina in the hospital, and it turned out she was well enough to be released. I spent the entire day with him and his wife and they are very wonderful people. Gene served in the Army and met Ernina in the Philippines 43 years ago. When we got back to Canon City that night, it didn't feel like the shelter would be the right environment after Ernina's heart attack, so we paid for a room at Motel 6 for a week. They have until Sunday to get moved out of their mobile home either into a new home or store their stuff in a storage unit.

Gene and Ernina need help. We are trying to help them in the following ways:

Any help is appreciated, but more than anything they just need housing. If anyone knows of affordable housing that is currently available, please reach out to me (Heather Darrow - Daughter of Gene and Ernina's Neighbor [Susan Darrow]. I will pay for these needs on behalf of Gene and Ernina, and anything left over will go directly to them as a cash payment.