The woman decided to help a homeless man she had met after learning his story to get his own little home.
A formerly homeless man is slowly getting back on his feet, all thanks to the generosity of two strangers he met on a random day.
David McDonald, 46, from Kingston, Canada, had been homeless on and off since 2016 due to a series of unfortunate events in his life.
Last July, he passed by Kim Cormier’s house on his e-scooter when he had a flat tire. He asked Kim, who was working outside on her laptop, if she would watch his things while he went to Canadian Tire to get a new tube. Some of his belongings had recently been stolen, and he didn’t want to lose more.
After his visit to Canadian Tire, Kim invited David to dinner with her and her partner, Andrew Embury. The trio hit it off.
« Every time we talk, there’s laughter, » said David.
A nice dinner with nice people was a welcome change, especially for David, who had been through some tough times in recent years.
He used to own a Pioneer gas station in Kingston, which brought in nearly six figures a year. As gas prices rose and gasoline theft became more common, fewer customers came. He had to close the business in 2010.
Shortly after, he lost his house and car. At the same time, his ten-year relationship ended. It was just tragedy after tragedy.
« I literally lost my whole life after the gas station – the life I knew then, » said David.
He moved to Toronto with his teenage daughter, and when she moved out, he took the bus to Vancouver, where he became homeless for the first time.
Afraid of dying in British Columbia, David packed up his things nine months later and walked and drove over 3,000 kilometers back to Ontario, where he lived in a park in Toronto.
« I couldn’t imagine being homeless. I cried, » said David. « So, it was hard for me to accept help – charity, I felt. »
After living with various relatives near Kingston, he returned to the city at the end of 2018. For a year and eight months, David shared a one-bedroom apartment with a stranger, but the other tenants there stole from him and even threatened him with violence.
Shortly after meeting Kim, he moved out of the apartment and lived in a tent. When it rained, he sought shelter in an abandoned trailer.
David, who suffers from social anxiety, supplements his monthly Ontario Disability Support Program payments of $1,124 by collecting cans around the city.
« I don’t use the services provided for the homeless because I think, although I’m homeless, others are worse off than I am, » he said.
Fortunately, he finds most of what he needs in dumpsters, including food, on some days.
With their generous hearts, Kim and Andrew replaced David’s stolen items. Kim even sometimes gives him her own things. Once, when she noticed David’s feet bleeding from his ill-fitting shoes, Kim took off her Birkenstocks and gave them to him.
Kim and Andrew also gave David new clothes and a backpack with a solar panel for his phone.
Earlier this month, the couple invited him to move into their backyard. David’s tent, donated to him by a sister he hadn’t seen in years, contains a queen-size mattress, a sofa, and a refrigerator. When he needs to cook, he uses Kim’s outdoor fireplace. He also uses the couple’s bathroom and washing area.
« She’s done more than I could ever thank her for, » said David.
And the man repays them in his own unique way.
« He has really good stories, and he’s kind and respectful, » said Kim. « It’s nice to have someone coming and going, someone to talk to, and a friend you can rely on. »
Kim and Andrew didn’t stop there – they brainstormed ideas to give David a more permanent home that can withstand all seasons.
Kim, a mortgage broker, got an idea from a local organization she works with called Our Livable Solutions. It’s still in the early stages, but the group plans to create a community of tiny homes to provide shelter for the 400 homeless people in Ontario.
Kim started a GoFundMe to raise money for David’s new 80-square-foot dwelling. They reached their donation goal and bought a fully insulated, fire-resistant, and weather-resistant micro-home for David!
The plan is to transfer the property into David’s name. However, in the meantime, he would still need to use the couple’s house for sanitation needs.
Although the house is transportable, David will always be welcome in Kim and Andrew’s home. While they started as strangers, the couple now considers David part of their family.
Hopefully, this fresh start will help David return to the life he once knew.
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