thedrifter
04-02-08, 05:42 AM
April 2, 2008
Marines step in, aid D.M. man ringed by debris in his home
By GUNNAR OLSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Ron Shaffer sat, his 64-year-old body slumping in a plastic lawn chair, as he tried to explain how his years of hoarding could get him evicted from his studio apartment in Des Moines.
"Since my wife passed away, I don't make the best use of my time," he said. His wife, Ethel Stanley, died in 2004. "I think about her every day. She'd roll over in her grave" if she knew how Shaffer was now living, he said.
Shaffer is a former Marine who said he was exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. He moved to Valley View Village after his wife's death. He's refused housekeeping, even though it's covered with the rent at Valley View, which is run by a Christian nonprofit group.
Visitors can barely squeeze through the door of Shaffer's apartment because of the amount of stuff it contains. His bed and couch are buried in old newspapers and empty boxes. He sleeps in the lawn chair, the only available seat.
Sometimes Shaffer smokes in his apartment, even though he's supposed to go outside. Occasionally, he admits, he falls asleep with a cigarette in his hand.
He's created a fire hazard. He knows it. And now he's facing eviction because of it.
The conditions could be evidence of depression.
More than 18 million people experience depression each year, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.
"Loss is the single most common trigger for depression," said Lisa Streyffeler, a psychologist with the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center.
It's normal for people to grieve following the loss of loved ones, but if they are still struggling to take care of themselves after two months, Streyffeler said, that can be a sign of depression.
Brad Cole, Valley View's executive director, said his staff has been asking Shaffer to let them clean his room for two years, and he hasn't let them.
"It's a tough situation," Cole said, saying he has to consider the safety not only of Shaffer but of all the other residents.
Cole wrote Shaffer a letter saying that his staff would ask once more - today - to clean his room. If Shaffer refuses, he'll be evicted, Cole said.
Larry Rogers, a nephew of Shaffer's who recommended Valley View to him, didn't blame the management, saying Valley View had "bent over backward" for his uncle.
"He's refused my help," Rogers said. "He told me to get out of his apartment on at least one occasion in the past when I was there to alleviate some of the clutter."
Cole and Rogers said they were relieved Tuesday to hear that six U.S. Marines from Fort Des Moines showed up at Shaffer's apartment to help him clean the place out. A friend of Shaffer's called the Marines and told them about Shaffer's situation.
"How are you doing? Semper fi!" 1st Sgt. Ray Rodriguez said upon entering.
"Semper fi, Marine," Shaffer said, repeating the abbreviated version of the Marines' motto, which means "Always faithful."
Shaffer told a visitor that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to stay, but that with the Marines there, he stood a chance of cleaning the place before the next day's deadline.
Reporter Gunnar Olson can be reached at (515) 284-8039 or golson@dmreg.com
Ellie
Marines step in, aid D.M. man ringed by debris in his home
By GUNNAR OLSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Ron Shaffer sat, his 64-year-old body slumping in a plastic lawn chair, as he tried to explain how his years of hoarding could get him evicted from his studio apartment in Des Moines.
"Since my wife passed away, I don't make the best use of my time," he said. His wife, Ethel Stanley, died in 2004. "I think about her every day. She'd roll over in her grave" if she knew how Shaffer was now living, he said.
Shaffer is a former Marine who said he was exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. He moved to Valley View Village after his wife's death. He's refused housekeeping, even though it's covered with the rent at Valley View, which is run by a Christian nonprofit group.
Visitors can barely squeeze through the door of Shaffer's apartment because of the amount of stuff it contains. His bed and couch are buried in old newspapers and empty boxes. He sleeps in the lawn chair, the only available seat.
Sometimes Shaffer smokes in his apartment, even though he's supposed to go outside. Occasionally, he admits, he falls asleep with a cigarette in his hand.
He's created a fire hazard. He knows it. And now he's facing eviction because of it.
The conditions could be evidence of depression.
More than 18 million people experience depression each year, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.
"Loss is the single most common trigger for depression," said Lisa Streyffeler, a psychologist with the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center.
It's normal for people to grieve following the loss of loved ones, but if they are still struggling to take care of themselves after two months, Streyffeler said, that can be a sign of depression.
Brad Cole, Valley View's executive director, said his staff has been asking Shaffer to let them clean his room for two years, and he hasn't let them.
"It's a tough situation," Cole said, saying he has to consider the safety not only of Shaffer but of all the other residents.
Cole wrote Shaffer a letter saying that his staff would ask once more - today - to clean his room. If Shaffer refuses, he'll be evicted, Cole said.
Larry Rogers, a nephew of Shaffer's who recommended Valley View to him, didn't blame the management, saying Valley View had "bent over backward" for his uncle.
"He's refused my help," Rogers said. "He told me to get out of his apartment on at least one occasion in the past when I was there to alleviate some of the clutter."
Cole and Rogers said they were relieved Tuesday to hear that six U.S. Marines from Fort Des Moines showed up at Shaffer's apartment to help him clean the place out. A friend of Shaffer's called the Marines and told them about Shaffer's situation.
"How are you doing? Semper fi!" 1st Sgt. Ray Rodriguez said upon entering.
"Semper fi, Marine," Shaffer said, repeating the abbreviated version of the Marines' motto, which means "Always faithful."
Shaffer told a visitor that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to stay, but that with the Marines there, he stood a chance of cleaning the place before the next day's deadline.
Reporter Gunnar Olson can be reached at (515) 284-8039 or golson@dmreg.com
Ellie