One of the stark realities of homelessness is that it can happen to anyone.

An unexpected crisis, such as an injury, illness, loss of employment, or sudden death in the family, can leave anyone on the brink of losing their home, with nowhere safe to stay.

For Gary Boady, the stability in his life began to unravel when a sudden illness prevented him from working.

For 45 years, he worked in construction. He took pride in providing for his wife and children, not minding the 14-hour work days as long as his family was supported.

Then, in early 2020, a sudden, undiagnosed illness uprooted the well-being in his life.

“I suddenly had chronic fatigue and chronic pain,” he said. “I was sleeping 18 hours a day and in pain all the time. To go from relying on my body and working with my hands to not being physically capable of doing anything… it was horrible.”

A few months after his illness struck, Gary and his wife unexpectedly needed to care for their grandchildren, a newborn and a one-year-old. The stress of his sickness and unforeseen caretaking of two young children chipped at his marriage until his wife demanded he leave.

He left with nothing and lived out of his truck. While he experienced homelessness, people commented that he should go back to work, that he could fix everything if he could just get a job.

“It’s more complicated than that,” he said. “I lost everything – my family, my dogs, my tools, my home, everything – because I couldn’t work. I wasn’t physically capable of doing that demanding work anymore, and where I was [living in my truck], it just made it that much harder.”

Living without a home was awful, he added. Weathering heat waves and ice storms, using the restroom outside, and struggling to find food, it was one of the most difficult experiences of his life.

Then, he connected with Caritas of Austin and now has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.

“It’s wonderful,” he added. “It’s been a blessing. That pretty much saved my life. I don’t think I’d be alive right now if I had to stay out there.”

With the foundation of a stable home, he’s able to focus on his health. While he still doesn’t have an answer to the cause of his chronic fatigue and pain, he is able to care for his diabetes.

On top of prioritizing his health, Gary also has plans to give back to the community.

“I’m looking for an opportunity to help people,” he said. “Volunteering or mentorship, something where I can be in service to others. We all have a purpose, and I think mine, at this stage of my life, is service.”

Because of your support, we can house hundreds of people like Gary and help them rebuild their well-being, making our city more vibrant for all!