A Quiet Life with Caesar

I started working with DCM when I was homeless, living in my car with my dog, Lyric. During that time, I often found myself at DCM because the people I knew were getting help there with all sorts of things. One day, someone at DCM asked me, "Do you need somewhere to live?" Without hesitation, I said yeah! It wasn't easy to find a place, especially with Lyric, but she was my family, and I couldn't imagine life without her. She had some hereditary issues and arthritis and the vet had warned me that she wouldn’t have a long life. A few years later, I faced one of the hardest decisions ever. I told her all the time that I would take care of her but I couldn’t let her live like that anymore. So, I had to put my faith in the vet to make it quick for her at the end.
 
After Lyric passed away, I got a new dog, Caesar. He’s everything to me now – my companion and my whole life. I rescued him from a bad situation and love to spoil him. I spend all my time with Caesar since I can’t go many places due to my health issues.
 
When I was younger, I was a tradesman and I knew how to build things and make things. But now arthritis and injuries have made it too hard for me to work. I’ve had a couple of severe concussions and feel lucky to be alive. I used to feel out of place on building sites and didn't have a support system, which is a common story for many people who end up in situations like mine. I didn’t know how to socialise and found conversations difficult. This is just the way life goes for some people.

Sometimes people have support and company and sometimes people don’t.

I've experienced homelessness on and off since the '90s. I got caught up with the wrong people, which influenced a lot of things for me. It was lonely and hard for a long time, but DCM changed all that. They helped me find a home. Recently, DCM helped me move to a new place that suits my needs better. I like to live a quiet life so this place is really nice for me. Caesar loves it too, and we go for lots of walks. When I first moved in, the place was pretty bare, but DCM helped me retrieve some things from a storage locker that I hadn’t seen in years. It felt so good to put those things in my new home.
 
DCM has a hard job with so many people to help, but they always made time for me. I couldn’t have found a house without them. I think that the system isn’t built for people like me – people who get pushed aside.

My advice to others out there struggling is to not give up. Find someone like DCM, ask for help, and just don’t give up.