Joppa Helped Us Find Happiness Again

Jeff and Brandi Gautreaux were born and raised in Texas. Life was going reasonably well there for the married couple until some bad financial decisions combined with the high cost of living made it impossible to keep paying rent. “You can become homeless a lot easier than what a lot of people believe,” says Brandi. “It doesn’t have to be because of drugs and alcohol. I never in my life thought I’d be homeless.”

With little community or government support available in Texas, the couple traveled to central Iowa to live with one of Brandi’s cousins. However, they became homeless once again when that didn’t work out. The couple moved back and forth between Iowa and Texas several times, looking for opportunities to get back on their feet.

After their last attempt in Texas failed, they panhandled for bus fare to return to Iowa for good. Jeff knew he could get rehired as an assembler at the electronics company where he worked before. “I’m known as one of the best workers in the building, and that’s why they hire me back every time.”

But unlike previous stays in Iowa, they couldn’t live in a homeless shelter. While in Texas, they had rescued a tiny puppy cowering in a bush as children threw rocks at her. They named her

Pistol and made her part of their family. Because she wasn’t allowed in any of the Des Moines area shelters, the couple felt they had no choice but to live outside.

They camped by the Des Moines River within walking distance of Jeff’s work and eventually got another dog as a companion for Pistol. Jeff says he loves their dogs like they’re his children but admits it was hard to care for them while living unsheltered. “If it comes down to being hungry, it will be me before my dogs.”

Brandi heard Joppa helped unsheltered people and called their number. Client Care Specialist Pat McPherren answered the phone. The couple quickly formed a friendship with Pat, who put them on an outreach route to receive weekly survival supplies from Joppa, including food for their dogs. “All the Joppa volunteers we’ve met have just been phenomenal,” Brandi says. “There are no organizations in San Antonio or Austin that say, ‘Hey, we’re here to help you.’ You gotta figure it out on your own.”

An early October snowstorm made Jeff and Brandi desperate to find housing before winter. They had managed to save the first month’s rent on an apartment, but they didn’t have enough for a down payment, so they called Pat. Joppa immediately covered their deposit and supplied them with furniture and other needs for their apartment. They received housewarming gifts and information on local resources from Joppa’s Welcome Basket Team and continued to receive weekly visits with food supplements and supplies through the Joppa Aftercare Program.

Now Brandi makes her living as a truck driver, and she and Jeff can afford a bigger apartment with more room for their dogs. It’s the things people take for granted they say they are so thankful to have: a bathroom, a kitchen, a wall for their pictures, a safe place for their belongings, and the chance to take a nap. “It’s a lot less stress,” says Jeff. “That plays a big role in our happiness. Joppa has helped us get where we are today, and we appreciate it so much.”

You can help people like Jeff and Brandi transition out of homelessness by giving at joppa.org/donate.
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