A couple of weeks ago I met Kerri Lavoie at the Sunday Friendship Breakfast. She is a gentle soul, down on her luck.I did some shots of her and her dogs and gave her a few the following Sunday. She expressed an interest in sharing her story with me, and when I next saw her she gave me a handwritten letter (below). She has given me permission to post it on Facebook. Please note, she is looking for house cleaning work. Her husband Marc is an arborist and also willing to work at odd jobs. Jan Armor
We’re Living In A Truck
“I live in my truck with my husband and three small dogs. Been in the truck for about a year. The only reason I live in my truck is I left Rhode Island to move to New Hampshire with husband. We came back to Rhode Island ‘cause a friend told us she got us three tree jobs. So we came back ‘cause we wanted to buy a property out in New Hampshire so we needed the money to put down. The place we had in Rhode Island caught fire. We lost everything and been in the truck since. And our friend lied about the jobs she said she just missed us. Believe me I was pissed. It’s not easy at all doing this but you have a lot of faith for each day. While living the truck and keep getting bad news like example like my older brother hang himself in jail.
Making sure you eat every day wash up in restrooms is not easy ‘cause you have to do it quick so no on knows how you are living. Every day we try and find jobs to help with gas and laundry. Also to you make sure the animals have what they need, like shots, grooming but lately they don’t have their grooming.
A lot of landlords won’t rent if you have pets but i laugh because a lot of them rent to people that have kids that destroy. My dogs are well behaved. The only fun we have is watching the kids in the park doing wheelies on their bikes. My husband said to do cards or number or an hour doing.
My husband is an arborist by trade we are looking for work and I help him on the jobs. We park at the Home Depot at night. They don’t bother us. We don’t leave any trash around. My dogs won’t go to the bathroom on property. I have to walk them or they won’t go. Always asleep early ‘cause you have only the outside lights so your day is done when you make a little money or not. We don’t go out and have fun. All we do is have our eyes.
At times if we don’t eat or have no gas my ex-husband will see if we want something to eat he will cook and bring it to us. We were to go on weekends there and take showers but people started looking and I don’t want him to get in trouble so I stopped going. We are looking for a place. We are not giving up. Well, at times I do but then I look at my dogs and say I’ve got to keep going. I pray to the Lord and ask for strength every day.
Me and Marc have been together for seven years. At times I feel like this is going to end ‘cause we are in close quarters 24/7 and we start nitpicking so I have to take the dogs for a long walk to calm down. I love him so much but not to get rid of my pets. I can’t see why they don’t have homeless shelters for people with pets There is so many animals in shelters to get adopted’ cause people have to give them up cause of landlords. One day if I can I would like to open a homeless shelter for people with pets.” Kerri Lavoie