@DakotaGuardianshipAndAdvocacy
From the desk of Magnus LeBlanc, Chairman of the Board, Dakota Advocacy
I was made aware of an interaction with our Dakota Guardianship CEO that I wanted to share with a larger audience. The story begins in January when our CEO, Amy Hansen, was securing guardianship for one of our new clients in Sioux Falls. She was petitioning for guardianship and dispositioning his property in order to secure Long Term Care Medicaid for the individual, and in the process, needed to inspect his home. The property was a mobile home which had fallen into an extensive state of disrepair making it unsuitable for human habitation. It did not have electricity or running water, holes in the floor, and mountains of refuse in every room (envision an extreme episode of “Hoarders” and you’ll understand). She and her husband were inspecting the property when they came upon the client’s brother occupying the property. He was obviously homeless and squatting in the squalor with no utilities . . . no heat . . . no food, and given the extreme temperatures we’ve seen in South Dakota, she was extremely concerned for his wellbeing. As she began making arrangements for the brother to be placed in a local homeless shelter, the gentleman expressed to Amy’s husband, “if I had a gun, I would just end it all.” He had obviously hit rock bottom and saw nothing in his future worth living for. For several weeks, the plight of the homeless man weighed on Amy’s conscious. She’d attempted several times to reach out to the homeless shelter to determine if the gentleman was still safe, but without guardianship of the individual, the shelter could not provide information on the status of the man. Concerned that he had returned to the dilapidated trailer, she considered that disposing of the property would eliminate any possible “shelter” he would have and make the man truly homeless and street bound. She traveled to Sioux Falls last week to check on the client’s property and follow up on the client’s brother’s status. She entered the trailer expecting to find a frozen corpse, but luckily didn’t. Amy went to the homeless shelter to inquire about the brother, and to her surprise found him there. Amy explained to him what was going to happen to the home to ensure he didn’t try to return. He understood but asked if she could secure two documents for him before selling the property, his birth certificate and his DD-214 (certificate of release or discharge from active duty with the U.S. Department of Defense). Surprised, Amy inquired about his duty and the man responded that he’d served two tours in Vietnam. She asked if he was registered with the local VA for services and he indicated he wasn’t. Amy returned to the trailer and secured the two documents before turning the property over to the owner of the trailer park. She returned to the shelter with the documents and urged the man to accompany her to the local Veterans Service Office so he could get registered for benefits. He declined but indicated that there was a representative that visited the shelter occasionally, so Amy assisted him by searching on the internet for all the resources and phone numbers he would need to apply for the services he needed and deserved. His appearance was very different from their first meeting. He was clean, his clothes were laundered, and he was getting the food he needed. She mentioned to him that he’d put on a little weight since they’d last met and that he was looking good. He said that he was sober and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt as good as he did. “I’m not stumbling, I don’t shake, and I like the taste of food again.” Before leaving, Amy told him that she’d stop in to check on him the next time she was in Sioux Falls. He thanked her repeatedly for helping him and said, “I know we’re supposed to socially distance, but we have on masks so would it be OK if I hugged you?” Amy replied, “Absolutely!” As they embraced, he whispered in her ear, “You saved my life.” Even though this man isn’t one of our clients, this interaction shows the dedication and passion Amy has for her role and for mankind in general. She took a man teetering on the precipice of ending it all and helped him see that there is hope and a better future for him. She shows concern for everyone and embodies the true meaning of the word “humanitarian”. It takes special people with a calling to do the work of our organization, and she truly is our Dakota Guardian Angel!
Thank you Amy for being you!!!
Respectfully, Magnus LeBlanc Chairman of the Board, Dakota Guardianship
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