Meet Dale
In memory of Dale Preischel, who passed away on September 10, 2024. Prior to his passing, Dale gave his approval for the following story about his experience at Tenfold’s TLC shelter, written in July 2024, to be shared with the community. Dale will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by the staff and fellow program participants he met during his time at TLC.
Dale, a Navy veteran, had a 22-year career in trucking and spent most of his time on the road. Then he needed eye surgery to treat a detached retina—a surgery that meant he was unable to drive. His career was abruptly cut short, and he had no other source of income. Worse, Dale had recently moved out of his place in Reading and had been sleeping in his car while hunting for a new home. Without his regular source of income, finding a new place seemed impossible.
While in the hospital, Dale sought help from Veterans Affairs. They helped him move into a shelter, but the crowded environment offered no privacy, which made him anxious. Then Dale got a call from Jen, the Co-Director of Tenfold’s TLC Shelter. TLC is a 52-room shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness; a portion of the rooms are reserved for the Veterans’ Victory House program, which serves veterans like Dale. Jen offered Dale a room, and he accepted.
At TLC, where every household has their own private room and bathroom, Dale felt much more at ease. “Having your own room is a big thing,” he shares. However, Dale also spent a lot of time in TLC’s communal areas. Despite using a wheelchair due to dizziness caused by his eye surgery, he would volunteer to clean the fridge or mop the floors. “I was in the Navy, I’m a pro at mopping,” he jokes. Kindhearted and easygoing, with a quick sense of humor, Dale soon befriended the TLC staff and other program participants. He valued the conversations and comradery others shared with him, and they appreciated his jokes and willingness to lend a hand.
Dale also enjoyed the sense of community that the Veterans’ Victory House program provided. “So many of us vets feel like we’ve been lost in the cracks,” he shares. “A lot of us say all the time, as an active member in the military, you’re a huge asset… the minute you’re not active duty anymore, you’re a liability.” In addition to having rooms designated for veterans, the Veterans’ Victory House program gives veterans at TLC access to a private lounge where they can gather and socialize with each other. Having a designated space for veterans made Dale feel that he and the other veterans were respected and appreciated. “The Veterans’ Victory House part of it, that’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ to us,” he explains.
During his stay, Dale worked with his case manager to access disability and social security benefits, to ensure he has income to cover housing costs long-term. The process was slow, and at times he felt it might never work out. Yet even when the wait was frustrating, TLC staff helped him keep going. “It’s the attitude that everybody has there,” he says. “Jen would say to me ‘Just calm down, you’ll be fine, just keep doing what you’re doing’.” Now, he says, he would give that encouragement to anyone in a similar situation. “Keep your head up and look at it in a positive way. If you keep a positive attitude about things, everything comes around fairly quickly.”
Today, Dale has successfully exited the TLC program and is living in his own apartment in Lebanon. He’s excited to have his own place and looks forward to getting to know his new neighborhood. He also plans to stay in touch with his friends at TLC and even smoke brisket for them sometimes. A car and Formula One enthusiast, Dale recently joined a car group for veterans and hopes to eventually work with them to have a fundraiser for veterans at TLC.
Looking back on his experience at TLC/Veterans’ Victory House, Dale says “I would give it ten stars out of ten. It was the best that I’ve felt in a long time.” He appreciated that TLC offered more than just a place to sleep, sharing that the program’s structure helped him progress towards his goals and gain stability. Most importantly, though, the thing that set his experience at TLC apart was the people. “It’s the care that is given,” he says. “You’re not just a number there, you’re part of the family.”
Tenfold’s TLC Shelter serves individuals, families, and veterans experiencing homelessness. At any given time, there are approximately 80-100 individuals living at TLC, including 30-45 children and 17-18 veterans. Click here to learn more about TLC, get involved, or donate: https://wearetenfold.org/tlc/