Planting Good Seeds – Tom’s Story
December of 2020 marked the completion of Harmony Village and a new beginning for several low-income individuals who were being handed the keys to their new apartments for the first time. Among this first wave of move-ins was a man named Tom McFarren, who was thrilled to finally have a safe, affordable place to call home.
Prior to his move-in, Tom was living out of a run-down trailer park underneath the 5th street bridge, paying approximately $1200 a month for a shabby fifth-wheel camper with faulty electrical, a leaky roof, and plumbing that didn’t work most of the time. While Tom recognized that moving out of his parents’ home was a necessary step for him to take in his life, this situation made it a lot more challenging than he anticipated. Getting around the trailer park was a difficult task for Tom, as there weren’t any accessibility accommodations for him or other disabled individuals at the time. He didn’t find much support from his job either, as Tom scooted around his workplace in an office chair rather than a wheelchair, greeting and helping customers to receive a measly paycheck that barely covered the cost of rent. For a while, his disability left him struggling to find a better job and paying his monthly bills seemed like a nearly impossible task.
Despite his situation, Tom always had a strong desire to make it on his own in life, and after many disappointing phone calls, he finally landed a job working for Gap as a home agent. Tom was making a decent amount more income from this job and was looking forward to finally being able to pay his bills. That was until a sudden heart attack left him without a steady source of income once again.
“I had my fourth heart attack, and it was really rough…they put in seven stents and recovery was very difficult” he said.
After this tragic event, one of Tom’s friends informed him of Habitat for Humanity’s new Harmony Village complex and claimed that he would help get him into the affordable housing facility in any way that he could. In just a week after submitting his application, Tom got approved for his new apartment, received his own wheelchair, and became an active member in the Harmony Village community.
Since moving into Harmony Village 3 years ago, Tom has found fulfillment in coordinating potlucks, bible studies, counseling groups, and forming a garden committee with other residents in the village. He also provides peer support for several of the residents on a daily basis.
“I love helping them in any way that I can, because I know a lot of individuals here have come from far worse situations than me. Some of them just need a friend sometimes, and I’m glad I can be that friend” he says.
Aside from nurturing what he describes as a tight-knit, supportive community within Harmony Village, Tom has also taken steps to improve his own well-being. Today, Tom attends physical therapy three times a week with the goal of eventually stepping out of his wheelchair and standing on his own two feet again. According to Tom, Harmony Village has given him the resources and breathing room he needed to be able to pursue that goal and start taking care of himself again. Tom’s move-in at Harmony Village marks a new chapter in his life, one in which he finds pride in being able to pay his rent on time and one that he claims he is beginning to “plant good seeds”.
“In gardening, you always harvest more than what you plant and that law applies to life as well. Up until now I’ve planted a lot of bad seeds in my life so I’m working on planting good seeds from now on and taking those positive steps towards a better future for myself, one that my kids can be proud of.”
Tom is currently writing his own self-help book titled “Planting Good Seeds” and looks forward to sharing his advice to inspire others in overcoming their own life challenges.
