One father’s fight to keep a safe home for his son
For Quentin Waller, being a single father to his eight-year-old son has always meant doing whatever it takes to see him grow happy and safe. He worked hard to keep a roof over their heads, but one month, a change in his security guard job and a decrease in gig work soon led to a crisis where he couldn’t afford his rent. That’s when he reached out to St. Vincent de Paul’s Family Support Services and found the relief he needed to keep his son safe at home as the scorching summer heat approached.
Just a year earlier, Quentin had faced an even greater setback. He was working for the apartment complex he and his son were staying in, but when they couldn’t keep him on, he lost both his job and housing. He moved into a hotel until they just couldn’t afford it, and had to make the painful choice to send his son temporarily to stay with family out of state until he got back on his feet.
Once I knew my son had a roof over his head, I felt relieved,” Quentin recalled. “As long as he was safe, I could handle anything and live in my car in the meantime. I wasn’t worried about myself. I was only worried about him.
During that time apart, Quentin worked exhausting hours driving for a rideshare app and slept in his car at night, determined to save enough to bring his son home. At the same time, he reached out to 2-1-1, a referral service for families in crisis, which connected him with SVdP’s Family Support Services, where social workers helped place him in affordable housing.
The first thing Quentin did as soon as he had the keys to their place was bring his son home.
Quentin continued to work hard both as a security guard and rideshare driver. But single fatherhood came with its own unique challenges, especially when it came to finding affordable childcare.
Things were exacerbated again when his security job switched him to night shifts. Then hours were reduced, income dropped and rent again became uncertain. But Quentin didn’t give up, he knew he could turn to SVdP’s Family Support Services for support.
SVdP provided rental assistance to keep him and his son housed during that critical month. This gave Quentin the time he needed to find a new security position with more flexible hours that better supported his role as a father. Most importantly, it gave him the ability to keep a home that kept him and his son safe.
It was a blessing,” Quentin said. “I was happy and grateful because it's help that I really needed in that moment. I didn't want to go back to that crisis again with my son with me because he's young, but he understands a lot. He's very aware of things.
Through every twist in the road, Quentin has kept moving forward with courage and love, all with the goal of being a better father for his son. And thanks to the support of SVdP, they can be housed and together.
Today, Quentin is building a better future for him and his son. He recently earned his license as a private investigator and dreams of launching his own security business. In the meantime, he continues to drive rideshare and work with a security company to provide for his son.
