For the past couple of weeks we’ve been running a series of stories called At Home. As a part of the series, we’re exploring how people are finding a place to live in the midst of a difficult housing market. Three years ago, Chris J. had a job, a house, three cars and a year's worth of savings. Today, he is homeless. But Chris is finding a new community through his blog and a Twitter account. Chris thought by sharing his experiences he would gather a few followers. Little did he know that it would provide him with community and even a room to call his own. Also: a story of coincidence related to the song Danny Boy.
Huy Nguyen is one of the thousands of Vietnamese “boat people” who came to America in the 1980s. His family is now settled in Florida. Three generations all live near one another. Though no one in the family was raised Christian, the Christmas season has real meaning for them. Also: A boy meets a real Santa Claus.
Alan Kaplan teaches history at a public high school in Los Angeles. He talks a lot about race in America, the history of slavery and civil rights. Ten years ago, that talk got Alan into trouble. A group of black parents claimed he was a racist. They called Erin Aubry, a reporter who wrote about race issues, and she was eager to investigate. When she finally landed an interview with Alan, they talked for over five hours.
erry Belanger has a love for downtown Detroit. Where others may see vacant buildings and shattered windows, Jerry sees a city with soul. He’s committed to revitalizing the downtown area, an effort that started with renovating an abandoned building and opening his own bar.
Dana and Patricia James have a story for the ages. It is a story that involved bravery, luck, and one man's idea to "pay forward" a forty-year-old kindness.
It all began with a proposal. Dana and Patricia decided to wed. Though they were poor at the time, Dana worked for an airline, so he got first class tickets anywhere he wanted. The two decided to take a honeymoon with a number of different stops across Asia. On one leg of the trip, they met a man on the plane named George Ishiyama. That man would do something Dana and Patricia remember to this day with awe.
Derek Monroe wasa business consultant brokering deals between U.S. and foreign companies. He enjoyed the work, but things changed when a U.S. client used Derek as a pawn to dupe a Japanese businessman who Derek respected.
Vesta Foshee died peacefully in the early hours of July 1, 2006. Her son, Donald, who cared for her in her final years, thought he had one less care when he called the funeral home that morning. Vesta had prepaid her funeral expenses in 1979. Don found, instead, that his burdens were just beginning. Clayton Smart, the new owner of Forest Hill Funeral Home, had decided that very day to invalidate over 13,000 prepaid funeral plans.
Adrienne Johnson wrote in after hearing our story about Reuben Appelman and his encounter with a childhood enemy on Facebook. Adrienne says her story is similar, except that she probably has more in common with the enemy.
Lynn Gazley has been living that debate. Lynn wasn't having any luck getting pregnant, so she turned to fertility treatments. Then she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and had to start chemotherapy immediately. Lynn later learned that she carries a gene mutation that made her highly susceptible to developing breast cancer. And it turns out that the fertility treatments may have caused the rapid growth of the cancer.
