The Veteran.
Fifteen years without a roof. Even longer without feeling seen.
David is 67. He lost his wife, then his job, then his apartment. What followed was fifteen years of survival—on sidewalks, in shelters, on the margins of every system that was supposed to catch him. He’s a veteran, a reader, someone who still says “yes, ma’am” out of habit. But he’s also tired. His legs hurt. His ID is expired. And sometimes, he wonders if people even notice he’s there.
His self-agency score is low, but his spirit hasn’t vanished. He still shows up. But he needs more than a warm meal—he needs a system that remembers people like him still exist.
