Jim was living in Florida and enjoying the lifestyle that most dream of. He was a very successful owner of a beach concession selling hot dogs, lemonade, soda, and other treats on the beaches of Wilber by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, Florida. Life was good and he was enjoying the fruits of his hard work.
After years of working and managing the concessions, he sold the businesses in 2017 and started a new career as a truck driver. Life on the road was interesting and Jim was happy to return to Berks County to pick up a truck to deliver to a client.
Berks County was familiar to Jim. He grew up in Temple, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Muhlenberg High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Germany. In the military, he served as a power generator specialist. Coming back to Berks County was great and he looked forward to returning to Florida after his short visit to the area.
While in Reading, Jim got sick. The COPD he contracted from years of smoking landed him in a hospital. Unable to return to Florida and unable to work because of his declining health, Jim had nowhere to turn. He came to Opportunity House. “They welcomed me and got me connected with services through the VA,” noted Jim. Today, he’s working hand-in-hand with the Veteran outreach workers from the Lebanon VA. They are getting this deserving veteran the services he needs to restore and maintain his health, access Veteran benefits and secure permanent housing.