Our Community: Del & Stacey

When folks come to see Thrive for housing help, we tend to work on similar things - applications, information, appeals. We see snippets of their life beyond their housing history - in fact, we love learning more about folks - but often time does not allow us. Housing assistance waits for no one! Del and Stacey are two folks I could sit with for hours and talk to: a kind, generous couple that has traveled extensively across the country. 

Del and Stacey have known eachother for about 40 years, but were estranged for 16. In 2010 they reunited in Hillsboro, and shortly after Del was laid off from Intel. Not wanting to sit idle, the two decided to take up a job offer from a friend in Oklahoma- why not?  What started as a short-term job offer became the true trip of a lifetime - spanning 14 years, 7 traverses across the U.S., and several dips into Mexico. 

They set off on the trip from Oregon, but plans changed quickly due to extreme weather. They got a call from their friend when they got to Amarillo, Texas: stop where you are. There were 5 tornadoes on the ground in northeast Oklahoma, so they spent the night in Texas. When they headed toward Oklahoma, it became apparent that their plans needed to change. The destruction was truly frightening, and they wouldn’t be able to work with their friend. The local authorities limit who can come in to work in devastated areas, so they changed course. 

Changing course seems to be something Del and Stacey do really well together. They adapt and meet the next challenge with energy and grace. In their years on the road, they’ve seen so much of our country:  the Florida Keys, Niagara Falls; they’ve driven through the bottom, middle, and top of the country. They’ve traversed Route 66 several times, traveled up and down both coasts. They had so much fun at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Del was late to work because an alligator was sunbathing in the middle of the road, and they were blessed to witness two cougars cross in front of their car - both in Florida.

When I asked if they have a favorite spot, Stacey said, “You know, picking an actual favorite spot is like asking me to pick my favorite food, and that’s all you’re allowed to eat. It’s hard.”  If she had to pick, though, Baja, Mexico, and Saint Augustine, FL are at the top of the list. In fact, they were in the process of buying a home in Mexico when they received news that Del was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. 

It was 2 years ago, and they had come back to Oregon for their annual checkups. After receiving the news, they moved into a trailer on a family member’s property in Prineville so that Del could undergo treatment. The trailer didn’t have water or power, but they had been camping for so many years that they didn’t mind at all. About a year and a half into living on the property, another relative moved onto the property, and they knew they needed to find another place to live. 

Del and Stacey came to see Thrive at the Prineville Library in January 2026, ready to do whatever they needed to find their own place. Del is a Veteran, so they quickly connected to the VA and started the application process for subsidized apartments in Bend. One in particular happened to have a very short wait list at the time - and Del and Stacey quickly applied. Within a month, they were able to move in! 

This type of move-in is very rare and pretty darn lucky! It also speaks to how committed and able Del and Stacey were to upholding their end of all the paperwork for housing. It’s no small feat, requiring lots of documentation and repeated forms to be completed. 

Stacey does have advice for folks seeking housing help with Thrive, “If you’re going to go into Thrive, or anywhere else for resources, do your homework. Do the things you discuss with them. Thrive will give you the tools; you have to use them.” 

“Can’t say enough good things about [Thrive]. You really were our angels,” says Del. 

If you’d like to hear more about Del and Stacey’s adventures on the road, they were interviewed by a Nashville podcast, the Big D and Bubba Show, linked HERE. 

We thank Del and Stacey for sharing their story with our community, and wish them health, happiness, and adventures for years to come ❤️