After losing her housing in 2021, Tracy Weiler found herself hungry and without hope. Alongside her dog Rockett, she endured the harsh desert climate, struggling to survive on the streets of Tucson for nearly four years.
In November 2024, Tracy completed a VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) assessment and joined the Primavera Foundation’s Homeless Intervention and Prevention (HIP) program, where she gained access to mail services, hygiene products, resources and dog food assistance. About a month after enrolling in the HIP program, Tracy was matched with a housing voucher.
The challenge, however, was locating Tracy without a current address or cell phone. Tracy’s case manager provided a photo of her to Primavera’s Mobile Outreach team, hoping to help locate her and her dog.
For three weeks, the Mobile Outreach team searched the streets, encampments, bus stops, tunnels, and parks. They shared Tracy’s photo with other outreach teams, asking if anyone had seen her and her dog. They left messages for her to check in and call her case manager and the outreach team at locations where she was known to frequent.
After weeks of persistent efforts, the outreach team received a tip pointing to Tracy’s whereabouts. A call was made, and contact was finally established in early January.
As of January 7, Tracy and Rockett are now housed, and Tracy has secured a part-time job with additional job interviews lined up.
Tracy sent the following text message to her Case Manager, Madi, and to Cynthia Carrillo, one of the Outreach Resource Specialists with the Primavera Foundation:
I got a job and I wanted to share with you that it feels good to get back into life again. I feel renewed, full of energy and ready to live my life again sober and happy, and be a huge part of my children’s life again. I could not even begin to tell you how appreciative and thankful for all you and Primavera have done for me with your help at getting my life back. There are no words that could explain how you guys strive to make this happen, and [your] belief in me that I could make this happen has made me feel whole again, like I deserve better than what I was doing for myself. Now I expect better for myself and from myself and it feels amazing to have that drive again.