On a sunny January day, Dan, 58, and Robert, 60, worked together on the CSS Maintenance Crew doing restoration work at the Empire Pond Safe Spot Community. Another typical workday for both of them in some ways, but one that neither could have imagined just a year and a half ago. Dan and Robert are brothers who had not seen each other for 17 years before an extraordinary, totally unexpected reunion at the CSS Mission Microsite Community in September 2024. Now they both live at that site, are CSS staff members, and share stories of parallel progress.

Dan has lived in CSS communities for about three and a half years; Robert about two and a half years. Dan had been living in the Mission Microsite for about two years when Robert showed up there, moving from the CSS Expressway community.

“The CSS workers brought me in to unload my stuff,” Robert says, “and there were a couple of people from the camp there and they were coming out to see who the new guy was. After a couple of seconds of standing there, they introduced me and then I just automatically knew it was my brother Dan. We just looked at each other, and I said, ‘oh, my God, my long-lost brother.’”

“I was stunned, speechless,” Dan says.

Robert had been looking for Dan for a long time, especially since he had come back to Eugene a few years ago, which was the last place he’d known Dan to be. Dan was in Eugene, where they both grew up, for more than 10 years before an undesirable living situation led to him living on the streets. He was on the streets for about a year and a half before getting into a Hut with CSS.

 “I just hadn't seen him in a while, “Robert says. “I didn't know what happened to him. He dropped off the face of the earth. I posted notes at the Department of Human Services because people are going through there all the time, but never had any luck. Honestly, I didn't think he was still around.” 

“Everybody was looking for me,” Dan says, “even his (Robert’s) daughter” (who lives in Eugene).

“And the thing is,” Robert says, “I walked within 100 yards of him almost every day. I don't know how many times going back and forth to the park, to the stores, or to appointments. I had no idea he was right there.” The Mission CSS site is less than a half-hour walk from Expressway, where Robert lived before his move.

When they were first reunited, they say they took it slowly trying to rebuild their relationship. “We're not trying to move too fast. It's just too much to catch up on and with each having our own agendas,” Robert said at that time, “so, we're both maintaining our goals and our priorities.”

And that’s continued, Dan says. “It's been mellow. He does his thing. I do my thing. I work. Now, he's working.”

When they’re not too tired after their workdays, they get together to “watch movies, work on puzzles, build a fire, maybe have dinner,” Dan says.

And they support each other. When they first reunited Robert said that Dan called him “the motivator” helping him to focus on “getting himself prepped and ready to go back to work.” Now that Dan has his driver’s license and is working full-time, he is helping to motivate Robert to get his driver’s license so he can go from part-time to full-time on the maintenance crew.

“It's like in my younger days, he used to show me, train me, all the things that he would do,” Dan says. “Now, working with CSS doing maintenance, I'm showing him the ropes.”

Dan also helped Robert when some medication he was taking was having adverse effects and he convinced Robert to go back to the doctor to get it adjusted.

Both brothers have taken advantage of the CSS’s Workforce Development Program, which started them in volunteer roles within the organization and eventually led to paid staff positions on the Maintenance Crew. Dan is full-time and enjoys the variety of thing he does as a maintenance tech. “I enjoy it. Things change every 5 or 10 minutes.” He feels good that his work is helping other CSS community members. “You can just say I'm giving back for the things I've done in the past. And now it's my turn to help somebody in need.”

Robert is part-time with the potential of moving to full time when he gets his driver’s license, which he is working on now with help from CSS—and his brother. He last had a driver’s license 35 years ago. He works mostly with the water crew, delivering clean water to the various CSS communities. With a license, he could drive the truck that delivers the water, which “would be nice and helpful,” Dan says with a smile.

Robert has been sober for four years and gets support from Lane County Behavioral Health. Dan, who in the past lost his driver’s license after being cited for driving under the influence, still has an occasional beer but attends recovery meetings and says, “It's just not for me anymore. I just got my license back, so I have to think positive, and try to be a responsible person for my actions.” 

Dan says he has found a new kind of hope. “Hope stands for being honest, being open, and having positive energy,” he says.

Both are trying to save money and find more permanent housing, maybe even get a place together.  

Robert says CSS “got my feet planted firmly on the ground. Got me going in the direction I'm going. Got me work. Got a roof over my head. Everything's going all right.”

Dan echoes that. “CSS helped me a lot. They got me off the streets, helped me get my license, Workforce Development, volunteering. They did a lot to get me back on my feet.

“I thank CSS for reuniting us because without CSS, we wouldn't be sitting here talking, next to each other.”

“Exactly,” Robert says. “I'd still be walking past him.”