This holiday season, Chris and Tamara could not be more thankful.
 

“It’s a miracle,” Tamara said. “Before I came here, I was feeling hopeless. I feel like God arranged this. So many things had to line up. It’s just incredible.”
 

“I got my sister back,” Chris added. “She thinks I’m saving her. She doesn’t realize she’s saving me.”
 

Siblings who were states away and hadn’t talked in 13 years are now reconciled through St. Vincent de Paul.
 

“We’re sticking together through the most difficult time of our lives,” Chris said.
 

Though both are experiencing homelessness for the first time, their paths were very different.
 

“We grew up together, very close family. The family kind of just fell apart and scattered into the wind when my mom died in 2012,” Chris added. “She was the backbone of the family.”
 

After working at Kroger for several years and renting a condo, Chris decided to try the “van life” after watching some YouTube videos. He bought a Ford Econoline and lived in it for three years. He retrofitted it with a full-sized bed and computer desk. His goal was to travel across the country.
 

“I had just been diagnosed with heart failure, atrialfibrillation (AFib), a few other things. I had good health my entire life,” Chris said. “I checked out on a lot of levels because of the medical diagnosis, depression, alone in the world, family all gone.”
 

Eventually the money ran out and vehicle broke down. He abandoned his van and walked on foot.
 

In Nov. 2024, SVDP was the only local shelter to accommodate a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine at Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter. At the previous shelter, Chris didn’t receive any wraparound services.
 

“St. Vincent de Paul is a place full of elite people on the frontline advocating for homelessness. They’ve put together a support network. The best of the best,” Chris added.
 

He’s grateful to the SVDP staff for guiding him in the right direction.
 

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve felt overwhelmingly that I’ve been surrounded by people who wanted to help me help myself,” Chris added. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at without them helping me accomplish a lot of my goals … I don’t want to let them down if they’re willing to help me.”
 

In 2020, Tamara’s husband of 15 years unexpectedly passed away while taking a nap. She moved in with her other brother and sister-in-law so she could spend time with her niece and nephew. Her brother became abusive to her.

Around this time, Tamara received misinformation through some family members that Chris had died.
 

“It hit me really hard, and I was in a bad place,” Tamara said.
 

She sent a last-ditch email to an “old email” to see if he was still alive. They were able to not only reconnect, but reconcile.
 

The Mental Health & Substance Use team told Chris about our Domestic Violence Program, encouraging Tamara to call 2-1-1 Metro United Way to secure a bed. After paying her way from Florida to Louisville to flee her domestic violence situation, Tamara has been in our DV Program since August.
 

“Everybody here is great. This place is special,” Tamara added. “It’s a safe refuge with a fountain of knowledge and a wealth of resources.”
 

The siblings are sticking together.
 

“We’re both going through one of the most difficult times in our lives than we’ve ever been in, but it’s not hopeless,” Chris said. “We feel like we’re where we’re supposed be and doing what we’re sup­posed be doing. That this is the way. Now we have an opportunity move forward with our lives together.”
 

Chris and Tamara are close to securing permanent supportive housing.
 

“This place is going to allow us to achieve everything we need to move on with our lives,” Chris said. “We will never forget this period of our lives, but we don’t want to come back.”