The Story

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.

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.

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.

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.