They arrived early, eagerly awaiting something that had eluded them for years: keys to a home of their own.
Carla McCue and her husband, Lawrence — a 75-year-old Marine Corps veteran — lived for years first in a motor home and then in their beat-up Jeep Grand Cherokee. Their story, like so many other homeless veterans and homeless senior citizens, was one of financial deprivation, health struggles and the inability to find a stable and sustainable living arrangement.
It all culminated this year, when Carla retired from her job and the couple moved from the neighborhood near Los Angeles International Airport that was close to her job to the parking lot of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ West Los Angeles campus. With the help of a caseworker, they began the process to receive housing and waited for months, only to learn that their application for the apartment had been rejected.
The Los Angeles Times recently detailed the McCues’ story of hardship, and the response was swift. Days after the story was published, Antoinette Monts, a case manager from the People Concern, a social services agency, received a call from her boss who had a simple message: Let’s help the McCues get a home.