PIKE COUNTY, Mo. —  Living out of a pickup truck for a month emboldened Codi Hobson to speak out about stereotypes surrounding people who are homeless in places such as Pike County.

The North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) helped the 32-year-old Bowling Green man find an apartment. The agency offers housing and other programs that can help the disadvantaged avoid homelessness.

Hobson was more fortunate than many people who are forced by circumstances to find temporary shelter with family or friends, a status often referred to as “couch surfing.” He had a full-time job and enough resources to get by, and credits fortitude and faith in God for seeing him through.

Hobson hopes others understand that many people are a paycheck or a life-changing event away from being homeless, and to offer support where they can.

“There are people out there who are struggling and want to do better,” he said. “They just don’t have the resources or there are so many other obstacles in their path.”

Hobson’s life was turned upside down last fall when his living situation changed. At the time, he was working as a deckhand on an Illinois River tugboat. His employer was impressed that he still came to work, despite living out of his vehicle. Luckily, Hobson had a winterized sleeping bag, two heavy blankets, a cooler for food storage and a camp stove for cooking. He would run the truck’s engine periodically to keep warm.

“I had all of the facets to take care of my physical and emotional needs,” he said. “It wasn’t like living out of a cardboard box. That wasn’t me. I had a job. I had creature comforts to some extent.”

Willpower kept Hobson from giving up. Failure to get back on his feet “was never on the table. I made the decision: ‘OK, here is my plan for the immediate future. How do I make the next step?’”

Hobson moved to Pike County to be closer to his three children and a support network that could help him cope. A friend suggested contacting NECAC about an apartment availability. The one-bedroom unit is “a hundred times better” than what he had.

Being homeless, however briefly, taught Hobson practical lessons that will last a lifetime, and ones from which he hopes others can draw upon. The experience helped him become more resourceful, independent and self-aware.

He visited social media platforms to find out how others were dealing with similar situations, maintained a routine, conserved resources, stayed active and kept his faith.

“It definitely put a lot of things in perspective for me,” said Hobson, who works in Bowling Green. “It’s made me realize how spoiled I was growing up. I’ve learned how much I really have. I have taken that as an opportunity to give to others when I can.”

For more information about NECAC community services programs, call 573-324-6633.