The Home for Good Program takes individuals and families who are facing barriers to securing permanent housing on their own but have the potential to live independently and helps them find a permanent housing solution. The graph below shows several sources estimating area homelessness, including the yearly “Point in Time Count”, Williamsburg/ James City County Schools, Community Resource Center, and hotel meal deliveries by From His Hands. A permanent Housing Program operated by the United Way has the potential to shift the homeless population count in a favorable direction providing at least 45 households, over the course of 3 years, with the tools to secure permanent housing.
Ron Tilghman, 63, has been chronically homeless for 22 years. He suffers from a severe heart condition making him a candidate for Bypass surgery, also diabetes which has created constant pain in his legs, and high cholesterol.
He worked at the Newport News Shipyard for 33 years as a welder after completing the Apprentice School and at the same time was a live-in care giver for his mother and grandmother. His mom and grandmother passed away 6 months apart in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The Section 8 housing they all lived in was in his grandmother’s name so Ron found himself homeless. For the next 22 years he slept on the street, park benches, in Walmart parking lots, and in various motels across the peninsula. Most recently he resided at the White Lion in Williamsburg for the past 5 years with his girlfriend, Shirley, and 3 year old therapy dog, Blackjack.
The White Lion was sold to the City of Williamsburg in February of 2015 and residents were forced to leave immediately. Ron had just paid his monthly $880 rent on February 5th and was forced out February 11th with no rent reimbursement. Ron, again, found himself with no place to go and no money. Being a regular at the United Way monthly Food Distribution, Ron turned to them for help of a different kind, shelter. United Way went over to the White Lion that day and moved Ron, Shirley, Blackjack, and all of their things into their first home.
Now, Ron has a nice garden full of summer squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers and a yard for Blackjack to play in. With Ron’s health declining and Shirley having had recent heart surgery, he is grateful to have somewhere to permanently live and the ability to focus on improving their health.