I saw the following story shared in the West Asheville Neighborhood Association Facebook group. Try reading the following and not starting your Thursday off with a smile.
From Facebook user Joshua Martin:
Today was an AWESOME day. First, because I got to be part of honoring an eco-warrior who I have great admiration for. And this…..This is Happy. Asheville friends know he sits on Biltmore Ave asking for help. He and I have spoken almost daily for several years. Sometimes I share some cash or food to help. Sometimes we talk about our twins. (He has raised two sets of twins. Damn.) Recently, after witnessing an interaction between he and a fellow Vietnam veteran, I started asking more questions. I learned about his mama who passed last month and him being born in old Asheville. I learned about his military service, his pain upon returning, more about raising twins, twice! About getting displaced by Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans, losing his leg, his ongoing battles with cancer. And on top of it all, his country and the Department of Veterans Affairs just simply lost his paperwork, then stopped his disability benefits, and then put him on the bottom of a clusterfuck long list, and said “sorry.” Meanwhile, he’s sitting on Biltmore Ave, hungry, hurting and pissed. And after seeing him suffer enough, I got pissed too.I’ve learned in life that direct action is the antidote to despair so I got onboard his team. I ended up advocating for his case with NC Senator Kay Hagan‘s office, who truly went to bat for Happy and earned my vote. Today the staff called and told me that his case had been expedited and resolved and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs had restored his benefits and they were in his account. So when I walked down the street this afternoon past his normal spot I took this 2nd photo, and I was so happy. Love.
Way to go Joshua, you sir are a hero! And thank God for some positive news about our representatives, am I right?
