Last December, Mercy Housing staff from Resident Services and Property Management paid a visit to the Seattle hospital intensive care unit to help Robert, a potential resident, with his application for residency in the brand new wing of our property in Tacoma, WA. As our staff got to know Robert more during their one-on-one session with him, he shared with them that he had spent the last eight years living in the woods with his therapy dog, Turkey. Robert had undergone major surgery and shared photos from before the operation, which left a tremendous abdominal scar. “I was not supposed to make it…they were shocked that I did,” Robert told our staff.

Today, as a resident at Mercy Housing’s New Tacoma property, Robert is grateful that he overcame the odds. His transition from living outside to an urban apartment home has been quite a change! He attributes the successful transition in large part to Mercy Housing’s Resident Services. The location of Robert’s new home allows him to live just blocks away from emergency medical care that he has relied on a number of times. He has been able to access transportation funds, switch to a primary care physician who better meets his needs, and obtain a care companion.

Robert has become an integral part of the great community of seniors at New Tacoma, who help and care for him and his canine companion. He is able to give back to his community by always assisting and engaging fellow residents, whether through questions or laughter. He takes much pride in his independence, and his resilience cannot be matched. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Robert has much to be thankful for, including accessibility to medical services, his new home, and community of supporters, and Turkey (his puppy, that is)!