On her way: the Doris story
By Janet Tyberski
Born and raised in Cleveland, Doris has faced many challenges throughout her lifetime of 58 years. Her father was an alcoholic, and at the early age of 12 she was sexually abused by her uncle. After completing only a ninth grade education, she got married at age 21 and gave birth to four children. She eventually divorced, and her ex-husband accused her of abandonment and was awarded full custody of her children. To this day, she has had little contact with them. Doris did marry again, but that union ended in divorce as well.
Doris first became homeless about nine years ago after her mother sold their house. During the past nine years, Doris has struggled to live independently, spending time in area shelters and various apartments. Unfortunately, each time Doris found an apartment, she was eventually evicted for uncleanliness and hoarding her many “treasures.” From December 1992 until December 1993, she stayed outside on the streets, constantly exposed to all types of weather.
Doris states that her “faith in god gave me the courage and resilience to survive during this immensely trying time.” She provided for herself through what she terms “ blessing money”, money given to her through the grace of god without asking for it, which she distinguishes from money received through panhandling. Doris also obtained food through the kindness of friends and the nightly visits by the Salvation Army truck. Unfortunately, Doris eventually observed that “many people would go by and look at you and not care. They made you feel like a creature from the black lagoon or something in a circus sideshow.” Doris aptly pointed out that “these people need to wake up and smell the coffee and the roses; homelessness can happen to any body.”
Doris has made and continues to make great strides in ending her cycle of homelessness. Currently, she resides on the near west side of Cleveland and is receiving SSI and Medicaid benefits. Her goals include renting her own apartment, losing weight and working to help other homeless individuals. Doris offered the following words of wisdom to others: “people need to choose their salvation and let the lord control their lives in order to succeed in life.”
Doris Roch is an inspiration to us all and a role model for other homeless individuals. Her faith in the lord enabled her to find the courage within herself to overcome her fears and face her shortcomings, which has helped her to make the necessary changes to end homelessness.
Published by the Homeless Grapevine Cleveland Ohio May 1994