WYANDOTTE, Mich. – A Vietnam veteran got some help from an organization after it was discovered that he was living in deplorable conditions.
There was black mold growing where he was living and it made it difficult for him to breathe. Downriver For Veterans (DFV) stepped in to find him a new home.
“The guy said there’s 28,000 per million of black mold in there and he said that survival was 500 per million,” Victor Stoddard said.
The DFV and organizer Ann Rudisill provided Stoddard with a gently used mobile home for free.
“Ann opens the door and we walk in. She says, ‘What do you think, Vic?’ I go, ‘I’m in the Taj Mahal,’” Stoddard said.
Because of the mold, all of Stoddard’s belongings had to be thrown away.
“The conditions he was living in were absolutely deplorable. A veteran should not live like that,” Rudisill said.
Rudisill was there to replace everything, including the furniture.
Stoddard served in the Navy and spends a lot of time volunteering and working at the DFV in Wyandotte.
“What made me cry is she gave me the keys and I said, ‘How much do I owe you?’ She said, ‘You don’t owe me a thing. This is from the DFV. It’s yours.’ And she paid the first months’ rent,” Stoddard said.
DFV is always hoping to help those who have served our country.
If you, or anyone you know, is in the position Stoddard was in you can contact Downriver for Veterans at 734-934-0532. Visit DFV’s website here for more information.
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