As part of the annual Press Christmas for All campaign, we share with readers the stories of those who have received help from the program. This is one of them. 

An artist with an interest in abstract painting and antiques found himself without a home about six years ago.

"Chris" traveled the country looking for the perfect place to live. He found that perfect place when he discovered Coeur d'Alene in 2013. He worked a number of different jobs until 2018, when he began to struggle with housing insecurity. He has been in and out of homelessness ever since.

Last December, Chris was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. With everything happening so fast, he delayed treatment because he didn't have a stable home to return to while going through chemotherapy and radiation.

Working with Heritage Health's Street Medicine program, Chris finally started his cancer treatment in June. His prognosis is positive; he is soon expected to be free of cancer.

Chris' request to Press Christmas for All was for help paying for housing the last month of his treatment. Lake Drive Motel was willing to let him stay for four weeks for $1,560. Chris said having a safe place to rest between treatments and a consistent location to be picked up and dropped off for appointments would make all the difference in him being able to continue treatment and beat cancer.

"This experience has given me a new outlook on life and a new perspective about what's important," Chris said.



Chris is most proud of the improvement in his painting over the last year.

"He had to focus on self-reflection, self-recovery and finding the truth," his Press Christmas for All applicant story reads. "Getting to know himself has put him in a position to be able to accept help, something he's never done in the past. He finally feels like he's in a position where he can start thinking about the future instead of living moment to moment."