Changing the face of homelessness

  It is September 2024. I have been living in this same apartment for almost three years. During those three years, I kept myself employed for two and a half of them. I was becoming very successful at the hospital where I worked. I developed a great rapport with almost all the patients and made some really good friends with some outstanding coworkers. A lot of the other staff would treat me as if I was more than just a psych tech, for sure. I would go to work every morning with a positive attitude and great energy that I loved to share with others. Constantly, I was trying to make others feel super worthy and appreciated for working alongside me. Administration at the hospital noted the potential that I exhibited and offered me new opportunities. So, when I started working at the hospital, I was actually homeless, sleeping in our local cold weather shelter. I was the only person staying at the shelter at that time. I had proven myself so trustworthy that I was even given my own key...

I experienced my first eviction when I was 8 years old. I was in the third grade at Hyde Elementary. I was excited when the bus dropped me off because I had a new kitten that I named Sunshine. When I went inside the house that Friday afternoon, I discovered that my mom had left on a weekend vacation to Southern Missouri. There was a guy there whose name was Buddy. He was to be our babysitter. I did my normal thing and started playing with Sunshine. At some point after dinner, I noticed that Sunshine was lying on the ground, not being himself at all. The babysitter said that I should call my grandpa. He did not think that Sunshine looked well either. I called Grandpa. Grandpa was there in less than 10 minutes to pick up Sunshine and myself. We went down to Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was determined Sunshine didn't have a fighting chance. Grandpa and I went outside with Sunshine. I did not watch as Grandpa stepped on Sunshine's head to end his suffering. I did, however, h...

 First of all I would like to introduce myself. My name is Tracy Jay Gillespie. I am a 48 year old male who lives in St. Joseph, Missouri. This is where I was born and raised.   I like to think of myself as a Christian man. I believe that all things are possible. I have a high school equivalency that I obtained through the United States Navy.  I served in the United States Navy for almost 2 years. I was discharged from the Navy with other than honorable conditions due to my mental health.    I am a very compassionate and caring person. I am a person who listens and tries to understand. I am a giving person and I never looked down on anyone.I never look down on anyone.  I myself, had a very traumatic upbring which led me to experience being homeless for a combined 20 years. That whole time I was living with untreated mental illness.   I love to spend quality time in the great outdoors. I enjoy fishing, hunting, camping and I even like to hike. Most of a...

  In 1990, at the age of 17, I had my first experience with the Department of Mental Health. My stepfather, at the time, went to court and somehow had me committed to a 30-day stay in a mental health unit. My stepfather was determined to remove me from our home and had me committed a second time, this time to a treatment facility. I admit that I was drinking a little and had started smoking marijuana; I believe I was still 17. A judge committed me to a 30-day inpatient program that I was required to complete. The truth is, I was there because I was unwanted. However, I did take advantage of the educational opportunities offered and learned a great deal. It was also in 1990 that I received my first mental health diagnosis: major depressive disorder. Throughout my life, I would be diagnosed with many different disorders. Every time I found myself in a psychiatric unit or a treatment facility, it was either through commitment or by my own choice because I felt safe there. I was genuin...