A few weeks before Thanksgiving last year, someone posted that he and his cat had become homeless, were living at the park in a grocery cart, and needed help. I didn't have money, but my partner and I had been prepping, so we had things like solar batteries, a burner phone, and extra cat food.

When I went to deliver, the park told him he needed to go. They already told him at the train station he needed to go. The shelters were full. Another neighbor arrived, and we were able to set him up in a shady hotel for a days. Luckily, I have a vehicle large enough to move a grocery cart.

The shelter could help, but they were only able to get him a place in about 2 weeks. Nobody had the money, but we did scrape up enough to have stay at a campground in a tent for long enough. Luckily, I had the burner phone so he was able to stay in contact with the social workers.

After packing up all the stuff, getting the tent and more supplies, and getting him setup at the campground, he messaged me shortly afterwards saying he was struggling in all the silence, because he had just quit drinking (probably the lead-up to all this.) It was annoying, but I went ahead and loaded up a mirco-SD with movies, music, and comics. Luckily, I had the burner phone.

You might be wondering why I would go through all this trouble for someone I don't know, wouldn't exactly be friends with. Well, they got him a studio apartment. He found a job. I just learned he's getting a promotion. The best part, is that he's stayed sober throughout all of this.

I helped. Who knows how things would have gone down if I didn't. But, to know that I did something that helped turn someone's life around.. He was going to go back to that life where he once lived (somewhere in New York), but instead he's here in my city having a better life. I cannot express how much joy I feel knowing that I could do that for a stranger. I'd recommend it to anyone.