Lex Sampley is a new member of the St. Francis House Veterans’ family. He joined us just last week after losing his job and his place to live within just a few months.
Mr. Sampley is a Navy Veteran who served his country as a hospital corpsman from 2012-2015. After leaving the Navy, he continued to use his corpsman skills working as a surgical technician, primarily in orthopedic surgery. He is originally from Fort Smith and has a brother in Sherwood. In 2017, he left his hospital job for a job in quality assurance. A year and a half later, he was offered a position in North Carolina in a friend’s company, a position that appeared to be another step up for his career.
Once he got to North Carolina, Mr. Sampley began work and began to find out things were not as they seemed. He worked for several months, but no paychecks arrived. Then, the company owner closed up shop and disappeared leaving him unemployed and with no money for a place to live. “I was at my wit’s end. It’s not easy sleeping out there under the stars and all”. He called his brother and then worked odd construction jobs to get enough money for a bus ticket to Little Rock. Once here, his brother took him to the Day Treatment Center. “It was almost instantaneous. They called and next thing I knew, I was here. I’ve already been working with Mr. Ralph and Ms. Alethia and have gotten my resume’ done. I’m ready to look for a job and be self-sufficient again. To get back some normalcy and contribute to society.”
Mr. Sampley plans to stay in this area to be close to his brother and perhaps to re-certify as a hospital technician. “It’s been hard, but I’m glad of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. And if any Veteran is in need of help, don’t lose heart brothers and sisters, there are people there to help you no matter how bleak.”