Love Beyond Circumstance - The Foxes' Story
Whether it be losing a job, mental or physical illness, substance abuse, or just down on your luck, homelessness takes its shape in many forms. It doesn’t target a particular group of people. Oftentimes, it’s just circumstance.
The Foxes are no different. Derek and Robbin Fox met in Montana in 2019, but the couple had experienced homelessness individually long before. Robbin was homeless for seven years before moving to Montana and meeting Derek, and Derek had been experiencing episodic homelessness over the course of four years.
After meeting, Derek and Robbin found themselves moving from couch to couch and living in motels. Derek was able to save up enough money to purchase an inexpensive car and make the journey back to Robbin’s hometown in Northwest Arkansas in 2021.
“We need to go to The Salvation Army,” Robbin remembered telling Derek. “I’ve always went there; they’ve always been there for me… When I was homeless, I would always go there when it was really cold.”
The Foxes arrived at The Salvation Army shelter in Fayetteville in late November, ready to find a permanent home. They met with Traci, Salvation Army housing manager, and were put on a waitlist for when an apartment became available.
Derek and Robbin made every meeting with Traci – building financial budgets, filling out housing applications, and completing paperwork – before getting approved to move into their first apartment together in early March of 2022.
Derek and Robbin say that being in a home is relieving and they’re ecstatic to finally have a safe place to live and move forward in their new life together.
If you know someone in need of assistance in Northwest Arkansas, contact The Salvation Army at (479) 521-2151, or find a Salvation Army near you here.
Love Beyond Circumstance at Give.SalvationArmyAOK.org/LoveBeyondNWA and support The Salvation Army's mission of Doing The Most Good.
