PHOENIX — Daniel Robinson and Dianna Hofer spent several years living on the streets of Phoenix.
Hofer told ABC15 she became homeless after her husband of 23 years passed away.
"Everybody thinks it's because of drugs. It's not because of drugs,” she said.
In Phoenix, Hofer said she met Robinson, who was working through some trauma of his own.
An artist by trade, Robinson said he witnessed a workplace accident when he was employed as a cabinet maker.
"This guy cut three of his fingers off right in front of me,” Robinson said. “It never leaves my mind and I could not face that saw."
According to Robinson, the difficulty of seeing that accident made it impossible to continue his craft.
Over the course of seven years, "D" and "D," as they like to be called, lived on the streets of Phoenix and have survived the stigmas associated with homelessness.
"I wouldn't ask somebody to walk in my shoes,” Robinson said. “I wouldn't ask them. Because man, it's hell out there. I got hit! People were hitting me with cans when I was walking down the street. Whack. I've been hit with beer bottles and stuff like that, for no reason."
The couple told ABC15 they were chased out of neighborhoods and eventually ended up living along the canal in the Sunnyslope area.
They said they tried desperately to get housing vouchers over the years and were wait-listed over and over again.
All of that changed, according to Robinson, when he met someone on the outreach team with the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
"He said, ‘Hey, look, man, I'm gonna try and help you, do whatever I can do. I can't promise you nothing, but I'm gonna do whatever I can do.’”
Though the couple said they were reluctant to trust, they were won over by the sincerity of the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s outreach team.
According to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, it's not easy to just "get a job" for people who are living on the streets.
This is why the nonprofit launched the Phoenix Works program, to help men and women experiencing homelessness begin rebuilding their lives through work.
The program gave Hofer and Robinson a glimmer of hope.
Robinson began working through the program, and Hofer started taking online college courses.
Then when a golden opportunity presented itself, it was commitment and follow-through that landed "D" and "D" a rare emergency housing voucher.
It’s one their case manager, Brian Feretta said, “Was like one of those miracle cases because we literally went down to the housing authority, got the voucher, came over to this complex, got them approved. It was like six hours, start to finish."
The couple was able to move into their first fully furnished apartment together days later.
Thanks to Feretta and the entire team at Phoenix Rescue Mission, Hofer and Robinson can rest a little easier knowing their lives have changed for the better.
“We can lock our door and go to bed. And we don't have to worry about anybody coming and getting our stuff,” Hofer said. “We're just grateful that this is our reward.”
