About the Valpo Shelter

From Government Passion To Humble Beginnings

This is the story of the origins of this project and how it's evolved in the past four years. It's my personal story, struggle, and newfound love for those who want to make their life better.

In 2008, the Mayor of Valparaiso, Indiana, took a bold step in addressing homelessness by launching a city-driven initiative to set an example for how other cities could tackle this pressing issue. His vision was clear: to create lasting solutions that would provide stability and support for those in need. It targeted helping men, the most significant part of the homeless population, as there were other resources to help women and children. While his leadership ignited hope, the project was eventually abandoned when the incoming administration no longer believed in the project.

A year had passed, and no one noticed the city had abandoned the project. It fell to the wayside like many government programs. On November 26, 2021 (the night before Thanksgiving), a neighbor talked to my now ex-wife, asking if she could pull it up as he was not able to. She was unable to pull it up as well. She then asked me if I could figure out the problem as a "techie," and I said I could fix all the technical issues.

After a few minutes, I saw the problem. The project was abandoned. The domain was left in the scrap yard of the Internet and no longer owned by anyone. I talked with my neighbor and told him the problem. I asked if it was really needed as it no longer existed and was abandoned by the city. I was very naive and thought our city had set an example for other cities to follow. He told me of its importance, how the local churches continue to house homeless men on a nightly basis and are unable to do so except a few days a week as they are unable to have these homeless men stay every day, even with a rotation of churches, as it violated ordinances of the city.

After talking with my neighbor and having a few hours at my disposal, I purchased the name (valposhelter.org -- the original, and valposhelter.com as it was also available). This was all accomplished on November 26, 2021, around 8 PM at night -- all on the same day. I went to archive.org and pulled and recreated by midnight all of the information that was on the old site -- it wasn't much.

I contacted the original author the next day. He is a rock-solid member of the community that volunteered his entire time. He gave me the entire story from his perspective and volunteered to give me any information, shared contacts, and gave me some great advice as his church is one of the ones that provide shelter to those in need.

Next, I contacted each and every person that I was given. They were all super happy to see the project coming back to life, and they felt the government, with all its good intentions, hindered the project from truly doing what it was ultimately capable of achieving. With all this information, I took everyone's ideas and chose to take this as a lesson from God. Not knowing my marriage life was ending, God did; I decided to do the project and make it my new focus in life. Educating myself on people experiencing homelessness. Their struggle became my mission in life. It still is today.

The ideas involved covering women and families from everyone I talked to. They told me there are more than men experiencing homelessness. Many have run into bad situations, but equally, many just hit hard times and struggles. Yes, there are people that want to be homeless. I realized this, and they are not the ones I have created this site to help. I am here to help all of those who want to get out of the situation and need that little assistance. These individuals, or families, don't want to be homeless or live off "the system." They need help to get them moving.

The site now covers men, women, and families. I have talked with every church that has been helping out. I learned that cities around were bussing their homeless to our city. It's a bummer, but they were all in the same area, so I saw this as a great way to help out more.

Still in the starting city of Valparaiso, Indiana, and talking more, this time with the homeless themselves, I learned of other struggles from accessing resources for a home, food, and even support groups (e.g., churches). I expanded the site more to cover these needs. The site has become a true "Yellow Pages" to help those in need.

The more significant struggle in getting this out there was that it was all on the Internet, and not every person had the Internet as freely available to them. This is where these organizations have been a godsend. They kept a link to the site available; the local library helped, too. The homeless truly had a support network they never realized, and they were getting the message out that this resource was available to them.

I was two weeks into this new personal project, and things were genuinely starting to make a difference. I received emails from people thanking me for providing, yet there was another problem to solve. I covered just the city I was living in. The cities and towns next to me wanted to be listed as well.

The site was running on a static page. It was time to start converting the business software I had written and adding new functionality so that I could easily make it available to more than one location. After two more weeks, my software, now called Brilliance CRM, was able to handle an unlimited number of cities and towns in Indiana. Yes, only one state, as there was never a plan to expand beyond Indiana.

As stated earlier, my marriage was on the rocks. I didn't know this, but God did. Friends told me what was going on as I had blinders on. They told me I needed to get out of the situation and I would never be indebted to them. I contacted two close friends. One in Georgia and one in Alabama asking for help as I was about to become homeless myself. I chose somewhere far away as I was told if I stayed nearby, I would not be able to heal from what I had been going through. My friend in Alabama responded; I explained my situation and was able to stay with them. They ultimately saved my life in more ways. As I drove south I drove past many of the homeless shelters I had talked too. I didn't stop at one. I continued on until I was at the end of Indiana. The next morning, I continued on and ended up in Alabama at around 2 PM the next day. I talked with my friend and her husband a lot.

The next day I ended up going to a local coffee shop. Met a local pastor and talked. I call it the grace of God for him to walk up to a complete stranger, a Yankee, and he befriended me. I haven't seen him since that day, but he filled my heart with hope, a desire I would grow, make a difference, and God would give me the path I truly needed -- even if I didn't know what I needed.

I spent the last two and a half years revamping my software, tweaking it, and making it something that could handle the entire country while also working 12+ hours a day to make ends meet. During this time, I was able to get an apartment, where I am writing this, that a dear friend found as they knew I wanted to get a place of my own. It's small, but it fits my needs and keeps me humble.

I now travel throughout Alabama and see that the problem is equally bad, and help is needed. This continues to fire my passion for truly making a difference. Every free minute goes toward this. I wish I could do more, and I will never stop. Searching, finding, and adding more information is now a key part of my life. I am now more thankful for what happened in my marriage, as it was by the grace of God I am where I am today and that I am able to make a difference. It may be small, but starting and doing is the only way to solve any problem.

I love you all and for all of those who support me in my endeavor to help others. This isn't just a shelter directory, like the Yellow Pages, it's a movement. We invite you to be part of it. Join us in bringing hope and stability to those who need it most.

What is Homelessness?

When I first started this my personal thoughts on homelessness was

1. It was someone else's problem.
2. They lived on the street because they wanted to be there.
3. It was their fault or doing that put them there.

I can say I was wrong in every way. In fact, I have been homeless now twice in my life. I would be on the streets if it weren't for families and friends. I want to help, and as I talk to people, they also want to help but don't know how. Below you will find a lot of honesty, possibly too much.

Homeless people are those who have run into a wall in life and need their community's assistance. Most do not want to live off "the system" and want to live the American dream. They've fallen and need our empathy and kindness. It is not just a handout, which will never solve the problem.

Those who are homeless have:

• Bigger hearts than many of us.
• Most do not want to be homeless.
• 1 in 4 are dealing with some type of mental illness.
• Women who are victims of domestic violence.
• Housing costs are too high (above 30% of their income was spent on housing).
• 81% are male, 29% are female.
• 11% of homeless are veterans (male and female).
• The average age is 45.9.
• Many homeless live in cars, family & friend's houses, and motel rooms and are not counted by "the system."
• One homeless person that doesn't want to be homeless is one too many!