[Names changed for confidentiality]
“It has not been an easy road, but it’s been worth it. The tests never end. Life doesn’t get any easier, I think I just get a little stronger. I’ll never learn everything…the more I learn this time, the less I’ll have to learn when I come back the next [life]. Remembering it will be the toughest part.”
On August 21, 2017, the day of the big solar eclipse, Andrew left his living situation and moved out of his most recent apartment. It was a big step. A risky step. It’s also what he calls “one of the strongest acts of self-love I have ever endured”. Only this year, 7 years later, does he believe he’s starting to reap the reward of taking that step.
Since leaving the East Coast and a job in the coal mines 7 years ago, Andrew has been on the road. Traveling and experiencing homelessness, he’s been applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) throughout this period, but a constantly changing address has made the process long and difficult.
His work in the mines was grueling and left him with a permanent disability. His case was similar to many we work with - even though the disability is definite and straightforward, the bureaucracy of the process and an unstable address for mail make achieving success extremely difficult. Andrew persisted because, as he says, “the reason I’m here is not to breathe in coal dust”. We wholeheartedly agree.
Two years ago Andrew started working with an SSDI lawyer in Eugene, and last year relocated to Central Oregon. While camping, he would often come to the Family Kitchen in Bend for meals. Seeing the Thrive sign there and in the library are what originally drew him to our services.
Needing some help with his SSDI and Workman’s Comp applications, he worked with Thrive to find resources that could help him get the requirements to the government offices in the necessary time frame. “I have a hard time trusting people,” Andrew says, which led him to seek support consistently from Sophie after meeting with a few Advocates at Thrive’s drop-in sites. “You guys have been a tremendous help in this whole process,” he says, which finally came to fruition this summer when he was awarded SSDI and paid backpay for his time spent in the application process.
After many years, it is such a relief for him to finally have a consistent income. He was able to buy a van with a camper setup with his backpay. A vehicle and a warm place to stay have been lifesavers after so many years of camping and living in a car. Another lifesaver has been his dog, Titan. Adopted almost a year ago, Titan has quite literally kept him going through challenging times and his first winter in Central Oregon.
When telling Andrew’s story, it’s hard to convey just how genuine, kind, and positive a person he is. He’s a man who likes playing guitar, fishing and hanging out with his dog. A man who is just trying to do better for himself every day, recentering his perspective to positivity. That over time, taking steps toward loving yourself is all that matters. We hope you take his story as inspiration for your own journey ❤️
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