James Avent was a hard-working man. First a paramedic, then a farmer, and finally a diesel mechanic. That was until he had ten strokes over two years and became unable to work. After many months and many extended hospital stays, Avent found himself homeless.
Referred by the William N. Pennington Life Center (WNP) to Churchill County Social Services, James connected with the housing coordinator at the time, Jackee Stewart. Through programs like Veterans Assistance, Avent was initially placed in motels temporarily. From there, Stewart worked to get him into a home through the voucher program however, the lack of affordable and available housing had made that virtually impossible. As he is single, the wait for low-income apartments starts at a year and is often much longer. So, he is waiting.
Fortunately, Social Services has placed Avent in a transitional house, waiting to find a home or apartment. He is also able to keep his three service dogs, which present challenges when trying to rent. Even though he is still facing many problems related to his medical conditions, like short and long-term memory loss and physical limitations, he is grateful he is not on the street. “Fallon has a lot of programs that will help,” Avent stated, “People just don’t know they are there.”
According to Avent, this has been a 2 ½ year process. But it has also saved his life, “If it wasn’t for Jackee at Social Services, I would be dead.”
Comment
Comments