House fire leaves Joyce Neeb without hope
By CARISSA MIKKELSEN
DCN Reporter
Joyce Neeb, 53, was rendered homeless three months ago when an electrical shortage caused a fire in the Duluth home she and her husband were renting.
“What was most astonishing to me was that the landlord didn’t even care that we lost everything, they acted like it was our fault,� said Joyce.
After weeks of sleeping in their truck, Joyce and her husband sought warmth and food at Churches United in Ministry’s (CHUM) drop-in shelter.
Joyce, originally from Indiana, has found it most disheartening that her family has cut all ties from her.
“It’s hard, after I left 10 years ago, they don’t want me to come back or even to talk to them,� said Joyce. “I don’t got nowhere to go home to.�
Making life and her fight through poverty a little harder is that Joyce suffers from epilepsy.
“People don’t understand it, some have even laughed when I had a seizure,� said Joyce.
With life’s struggles weighing heavily, it is easy to feel hopeless.
“It’s gotten so bad, I just want to die,� said Joyce. “I’m just waiting for something good to happen.�