The Stories
Accounting Professional - Susan
A Middle-Class Life Shattered
Susan lived in a middle-class neighborhood in South Tampa and shopped at local stores. She was a full-time accounting professional and, like most single parents, juggled a busy work and family life, proudly shuttling her son and daughter to and from sports practices and after-school activities. When Susan became ill, she was forced from her comfortable life. No longer someone's neighbor or co-worker, circumstances forced her to the streets and she began living in her car.
Life Before Homelessness
Susan graduated from high school in Connecticut and joined the Air Force. After four years of service, she returned to civilian life, married, had two children and settled into an accounting career. Susan divorced within a few years and was living in Boston when she took a winter vacation to visit family in the Tampa Bay area. She fell in love with Florida and decided, in the early 80s, to start a new life here with her kids.
In the mid 90s, Susan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease of the central nervous system. For a while, the MS was in remission and she continued to lead a normal life. But, as her symptoms worsened, she could no longer maintain her corporate accounting position, and she was let go. Devastated, her stress level intensified the MS, which in turn diminished her mobility. Feeling more and more hopeless, Susan increasingly turned to alcohol to cope with her physical and financial condition.
Within three months of losing her job, Susan depleted her life’s savings and lost everything she had worked for. She had always been fiscally responsible and thought she had at least another 20 years to prepare for retirement. She applied for disability but was turned down. With no income, Susan knew she was facing life on the streets. She pawned what she could for cash and took only the items that would fit in her car, such as clothing, toiletries, bedding and, most importantly, her children's baby pictures.
Life on the Streets
Over the next year, Susan lived in her car and focused on daily survival. Nights were especially hard. Pain from the MS made it difficult for her to get comfortable, and the fear of never knowing who might approach her car made it nearly impossible to sleep. Susan would wash up at fast-food restaurants and gas stations, often drinking during the day to numb the pain and deal with her fear.
Desperate for help, she found a program for homeless veterans. She was diagnosed with clinical depression and was finally able to receive much-needed medical care and treatment for her MS. Unfortunately, all the VA's housing programs were full; so, with no housing options available, Susan bathed at the VA hospital, attended out-patient treatment during the day and slept in her car at night. Eventually there was an opening at a local transitional housing program for women and Susan was able to get off the streets.
While living in the temporary apartment, Susan's car was repossessed. She knew she needed training to secure flexible employment that would enable her to work from home. A state vocational rehabilitation program provided her with a computer and training to start a business. She was finally approved for disability benefits, enabling her to purchase another vehicle and modestly furnish a more permanent residence.
Life Now
Susan finds it nearly impossible to make it on disability income alone and knows how easy it would be to lose her home again. She continues to struggle with MS which makes it extremely difficult to maintain her home-based business, yet she still finds the energy to be a homeless advocate. In fact, Susan has become a highly effective spokesperson, sharing her story and advocating for services and resources needed by homeless men, women and children - the same services she once needed, or didn't exist at all. Susan credits the programs that aided in her recovery from homelessness and alcohol addiction, and aspires to become a certified addictions counselor so she can continue to help others in need.
