Joe Apollo, a real estate broker turned entrepreneur, embarked on a remarkable journey when he accepted a 94-room boarding home instead of a real estate commission. This pivotal agreement set him on a twenty-year odyssey that not only defined his life but also purposefully impacted the lives of hundreds of low-income, indigent, elderly, and handicapped individuals who had fallen between the cracks. It introduced him to a unique segment of our population, whose endearing personalities often go unnoticed by the middle and upper class, beyond mere passing encounters on the street.
Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions as you laugh on one page, cry on the next, and feel your heart melt when you turn the page again to meet Joe's friends, each exhibiting their irresistibly endearing personalities. Join him in this mental illness memoir that chronicles twenty years spent catching those too often helpless, ignored, and forgotten individuals who fell through the cracks.
Richardson House and East Samaria were home to 180 of these individuals, most of whom were living with mental illness and all facing life-altering afflictions that challenged their independence. You will get to know them intimately and love them just as Joe did, as you read through 40 vignettes of his fondest and most unforgettable memories of these remarkable individuals, along with his story and philosophy.
