Things happen for reasons, but at the time we don't know why they happen, but in retrospect I know now, why it happened to me.
 
  In 2004 I came to Alaska on my birthday. I had sold my house in Las Vegas, and thought that I would live out the the remainder of my life here in a place that I felt close to my heart. On a personal note, ( I have always felt that this is where I belong.) Well, speaking of the heart, the Doctors who had operated on my heart, froze my bank account, and I became homeless. I was in shock that this could happen to me. I was fortunate to have met Paul, who helped get back on my feet. Four months with out money or a place to live, I was destitute, all I had was my trailer and my truck. 

  It was around Christmas and I happen to go Wal-Mart and the girl who worked in the photo booth said that I looked like Santa Claus. She was in charge of the Christmas activies. Shanna, gave me a Santa Claus outfit, so I went to work on the weekends at Wal-Mart spreading good cheer.

  After Christmas my friend Paul said that he knew this lady who worked at this bar named Coots, she gave me a job as a bartender, so I worked there for three months, but the smoke was getting to me and I didn't want to be in that enviroment. Mean while, I had moved in to Anchorage from Girdwood with my little trailer where I set up at this RV park in midtown. 
 
  I ended up getting a job at the Airport throwing bags for this company called Swissport. After a while working at my new job as a Ramp Agent, they made me the  "Union Shop Steward". The Union contract was coming up and I thought that it would be important that the workers know what they would be voting on, so I asked everyone to read the contract. Well, Management didn't like that. I also noticed that when passengers would check their bags and guns at the TSA counter, the agents would check the bags that the guns came in, put them on the carosel, and send them back to the unsecure bagage area. Oh they say it was secure but it wasn't. Anyway the guns would sit on the carosel for 2 maybe 3 hours unattened until the Ramp agents, from the different airlines would come, get the guns for their respective flights. Well I had mention that to Swissport management, and they said, "oh there are cameras watching the bags". Oh so you could watch a terrorist take the guns. The irony of this situation we as a country just watched planes fly into 2 towers killing over 3000 people on 9/11. If they are taking liters and fingernail clippers, off the passergers, yes I think that having guns on the tarrmak unattended is stupied! I also told Homeland Securty, and the Airport Police. and they blew me off too! After a response like that, who do you go to?
 
  I had also noticed that the tugs that the workers use to go out to the planes smelled like carbon monoxide inside the cabin. The Ramp agents were falling asleep and losing their jobs. It was evident the carbon monoxide was seeping through the floor boards of the tugs. I told Management about the problem and how it was bad for the workers health, to breath the fumes especially in the winter. It was so cold that the ramp agents would keep the windows up just to stay warm. Well Swissport was more interested in the bottom line and did nothing to fix tugs. Fixing the tugs would have cost money. I had contacted OHSA to make sure that Swissport would fixed the problem with the tugs. OHSA, fined the Swissport, $20,000 for not fixing the tugs. I felt that someone had to look out for these good peoples best interest. Yes, you guesses it, I got fired. So, so much for being a Whistle blower. 

 Desperate for a job, I had went to the employment office on 4th and Gamble and met a gentleman named James Demers. A counselor working for the state getting people jobs, a great guy. James suggested get in touch with a company named Ninestar out on Muldoon rd at the job center, James suggested they had a program for senior citizans 55 and older that they would teach me computer skills and pay me too! Well that was for me. After the going through the class at Ninestar their program also got me a job with a host agency and I could go to work, 25 hours at week min. wage. I was in Seventh Heven. 

 Note, I had to move again, from midtown where the rent was too high to John's RV Park, in Mountain View , the rent was less and the management was very nice, and the people were very helpful getting me situated and settling in to my new home. It seemed to good to be true. Mean while finding out that my new job would be at the host agency, the DOL (Depatment of Labor) I ended up working out in Eagle River at the Job center as the receptionist but Unbeknown to me at the time, I had a nack of getting people jobs.

  I would like to stop here for a moment. As you have read from the top of the page the clime back has been very difficult for me, and it only took three years to get this far. There are difference cinereous on how one becomes homeless, but the bottom line is, your still homeless. When you lose everything, it's very tough to climb out of the hole your in. Beat down no place to go, you don't have any money or a place to live. Yep! you are destitute. For most of the homeless they tend to gravitate toward each other for comfort and warmth. The booze, drugs, cigarettes and the companionship draws them even closer. Sad to say that when you are hungry you will steal, panhandle anything to take that hunger away from the pit of your stomach, or you will buy booze mouth wash even underarm deoderant just to get the alcohal content in your system. Me, I was lucky if you want to call it that, I grew up with good family values. I didn't grow up from a broken home where drugs and alcohol were a staple in our life. I beliveve that the fact that I had a place to live for me and my dog and our little trailer saved me. ( Housing first ) The fact that I have integrity and the perseverance,to get back on track help me too. I found that I couldn't do it alone. It it wasn't for the Non-profit agency's here in Anchorage, I wouldn't be a live today. And I would like to say if it wasn't for a lady named Miriam who works at SSIand her instincts,  I wouldn't have known that I was in really bad health. For me fighting for the homeless has become a way of life. The haves want to help the have-nots, but not in their neighborhood. and you can't  blame them, who wants to look at a homeless person anyway. Alaska spends 30 to 40 million dollars a year for homelessness and for some of the non-profits They don't deserve there portion of the money. 
Now the next part of this story is not for the faint of heart. This was Julia O'Malley a Columnist for the Anchorage Daily Newspaper Who said to me " You should be the Voice for the Homeless " Come back there's more! ,