One year ago I met a man who lives in an older small 4 unit apartment building owned by my husband and a friend. The man’s name is Warn and he’s 64 years old. In 2024 he moved into the apartment with his daughter to take care of her as she coped with medical issues. He agreed to split the rent. Shockingly, after she recovered, she abandoned him and stole the $1,000 he had saved toward buying a vehicle. (He thinks she suffered drug addiction.) Warn lives on a small monthly SS check and was left in a very difficult situation. With no vehicle he has to walk everywhere.

Warn was once a successful master bricklayer who ran a large crew doing commercial work. He was also a lay preacher who preached and evangelized whenever he had the opportunity.

When his wife died several years ago, he was so emotionally devastated that he couldn’t work. He lost his job and his vehicle. Thinking he was wise to put one of his daughters on his bank account in case of his death, he set himself up to also lose his home when she emptied his bank account and disappeared.(Same daughter I mentioned earlier.) He never harbored angry feelings toward her, but sought to keep in touch with her to know how she was doing. She never reached out to him. She was found dead two months ago. Being the loving father that he is, he paid for her cremation and a burial plot next to his wife’s and grieved her passing.

Although my husband and his friend lowered Warn’s rent because of his situation, it still is more than he can afford. He is often without funds for food. He makes too much to qualify for Medicaid. This past fall he applied for food stamps and receives $105 a month. He also receives a small food box from our Baptist association. He can’t afford health insurance and has a number of serious medical issues that go unaddressed.

Of course my husband and I help as often as we can in as many ways as we can. I’m retired and my husband hopes to retire this year. We just aren’t in a position to provide all that Warn needs. If he had a vehicle, he could get to a larger town that would have more resources. ( Our town in Mississippi is very small.) He feels he would be able to find work if he were closer to employment opportunities.

I think if we could raise $5000 he should be able to get some kind of vehicle that would allow him to get to a job. So like teaching someone to fish instead of giving someone a fish, we are hoping this campaign will enable him to purchase a vehicle. It is our intent that the money be used toward a vehicle so that he can begin to provide for himself-as opposed to supplementing his low income.

Thank you for reading Warn’s story. Please consider contributing so that he can begin to afford to meet his needs.