TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Homelessness is an ongoing issue in Pima County and throughout Arizona. But one unhoused veteran wants to break the negative stigma often associated with homelessness.
Joshua Dinapoli is a proud Navy veteran who’s served across the country.
But for the past 18 months, he’s lived on the street. He says the city recently took what little he did have.
"They had essentially removed all of our items from that area because they were not supposed to be there," Dinapoli said.
Because he and his tentmate were on private property, he understood they had a job to do and wasn't mad as a result. He said he wishes they would have given them a heads-up at the very least.
"You just wish that they would have been "Hey, you got to go,’ and remove your stuff," he said. "As opposed to having some personal items that I won’t be able to get back, trashed."
My talk with Dinapoli quickly shifted to breaking down the stigma surrounding homelessness.
"Not all of us are, you know, strung out," he said when asked about one of the misconceptions surrounding homelessness.
The father of one is just one of the roughly 2,200 homeless people across Pima County, according to the latest 2022 report on homelessness from HUD.
"Some of us do find ourselves in situations where we are trying to get back on track to where we know where we should be and where we need to be and where we want to be and be successful," Dinapoli said.
I asked him what kept him from giving up. His response was "having faith, knowing that things are going to get better."
His message to others was simple: Don't judge a book by its cover.
"Not everybody you see is going to fit the stereotype you think," he said.
Through it all, Dinapoli is grateful for the generosity of others as he continues pushing forward, hoping for a better day.
"Nothing is so bad in this life that would make me not want to try and do better every day," said Dinapoli.
There is help for veterans who are homeless or are in jeopardy of becoming homeless. The Primavera Foundation's Project Action for Veterans is a Tucson non-profit ready to help.
Resources can be found here: https://www.primavera.org/what-we-do/survival/project-action-for-veterans.html
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
