“I am the son of a cop and a lunch lady from Chicago and followed my dad’s footsteps into public service. After moving to Alabama for a paramedic job in Huntsville, issues arose with my wife. I became a divorced single father with custody of four children, two on the autism spectrum. My daughter was diagnosed with severe autism at 18 months old.

Autism was the cascading event in becoming a single dad and poor. Nothing prepares you to be the parent of an autistic child. Their mom has mental health issues and things fell apart. We divorced and the judge gave me custody of the kids. She moved to south Alabama and got remarried. For five years I worked as a rescue paramedic doing everything I could to make ends meet for my kids.

While working a side job to make extra money, a piece of debris cut through my safety glasses, cutting my eyeball and forcing me out of work for months. The children’s mother, who was clean and sober, took in the three youngest children. I kept our oldest son and moved to Fairhope to be closer to the other three.

I spent every dime I had to move here because I had the promise of a job. They downsized and the job fell through. I sold or pawned possessions for us to have food. It is hard to catch up when you get behind.

I started my own business but was constantly a month late on bills, with a stack I couldn’t pay. My car broke down and was repossessed when I couldn’t afford the repairs or the monthly payment. I was approved for food stamps but was reluctant to use them because, I know what people think when they see a man pay for groceries with government assistance.

In Fairhope, they look at you like you have three heads if you say you can’t afford food. People like me don’t like the situation we are in, but we don’t want a handout. We want respect and someone to help us navigate the craziness to find a way back up.

Covid-19 shut my business down but also opened the door to a better job with stable income. The new job is a blessing, but the Coronavirus furloughed my other half from her job as a PRN at Thomas Hospital. She hasn’t worked a day since this started, but she is still trying to help by making masks that others need.

Life is still hard, but it is getting better. I went through hell to get here, but I am blessed to call Fairhope home. I am rich in family and love, with a happiness that money can’t buy.

I believe Fairhope was founded on giving everyone a chance, not as a sanctuary for elitists, and I want to give back. The next few months are going to be hard for a lot of people in our community. How are we going to help?”