Meet Edwin

Edwin, an Army veteran who grew up in Lancaster, had been living in his home for 18 years. Then the building was sold to a new landlord. At the same time, Edwin was diagnosed with cancer. The side effects from his chemotherapy treatments made it difficult for him to continue working, and in the span of just a few months, Edwin lost both his job and his home. Without a steady source of income, finding a new place to live seemed impossible, and Edwin found himself facing homelessness. Then he was referred to TLC.   

Tenfold’s TLC shelter is a 52-room shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Every household at TLC has a private hotel-style room and bathroom, allowing families of all types to stay together. A portion of the rooms are reserved for the Veterans’ Victory House program, which serves veterans like Edwin.  

Always energetic and positive, Edwin can see the bright side in any situation. Although he was skeptical of the program when he first moved into TLC, his outlook quickly changed as he got to know the staff. “Within two weeks, as I got grounded, I said ‘this is the right place’, and admitted to myself that this is where I needed to be,” he explains. “They [TLC staff] kept me motivated, they kept me positive.”  While at TLC, Edwin worked with his case manager, Kaitlyn, to figure out his financial situation, plan for the future, and find new housing. Every TLC participant has a case manager, who helps them identify their specific obstacles to obtaining housing and create an action plan to overcome those obstacles together. “Kaitlyn was the person that gave me structure and taught me how to navigate through these challenging times,” Edwin says, adding that Kaitlyn also provided emotional support. “She would always ask me how I was feeling, that’s how the conversation always started.”  

Kaitlyn saw Edwin’s resilience firsthand throughout his time at TLC. “Edwin persevered and worked very hard to obtain sustainable housing for himself,” she shares. “Despite all he was going through, he was always ready to crack a joke and to try to make the next person smile.” In addition to working on his financial and housing goals, Edwin continued to undergo chemotherapy treatment while living at TLC.  

Today, Edwin shares that his health is excellent, and that he recently moved out of TLC into his own apartment, where he will be able to remain long-term. “I’m in a better place right now than I’ve ever been,” he says. He’s enjoying the peace and quiet in his new home, and is working part-time stocking shelves at Weis, which he likes because it gives him the chance to meet new people. He enjoys keeping busy and is passionate about exercise, especially weightlifting and hiking. As he looks towards the future, he plans to continue exercising and focusing on his health.   

Edwin is also looking forward to spending time with family, especially his two adult sons, who he is very close to. “We stay in constant communication, and we share quite a bit. I’m blessed to have them,” he says. He sees his experience at TLC as an important lesson to share with his kids. Whenever challenges arise in life, he reminds them to remain patient and positive, as he has done. No matter how difficult the circumstance is, he says, “Life does change. It will change. Never give up.”  Reflecting on his experience at TLC, Edwin shares “It made me grounded again. It gave me stability so that I was able to grow from what I was going through.” His advice to anyone facing a similar situation is to not be too hard on themselves, and to accept help when it is offered. “There’s hope if you just allow other people to help and let them in your life,” he says. “Life does throw these curveballs at you, but you can get through it if you just give yourself a chance.” 

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 or get involved: www.wearetenfold.org/tlc/ Click here to donate to Tenfold: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/87f2373b-2b99-449e-871f-f54f02711216