Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog
Espia Gatson is one of twenty one speakers who take part in the Jacksonville Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau. The bureau was formed to bring to personal stories of Jacksonville’s homeless to the school groups, Rotary lunches, and other events that are usually addressed by civic leaders and celebrities.
Gatson wears a suit and tie when he addresses audiences, like the forty second graders he addressed recently. He told the children about how, despite a previously successful career, his divorce in 2003 sent him into a financial and emotional downward spiral that left him living on the streets and in homeless shelters until just a month ago.
As part of his talk, Gatson asks the children to close their eyes; when they open them he is dressed in torn clothing and a battered hat. He asks the children if he is still the same man inside. They answer with an enthusiastic “yes.”
Gatson says that he participates in the program in order to keep other people from going down the same path he did. If he reaches only one person he will be satisfied. Divorce can be a difficult time both emotionally and financially. Seeking the help of an experienced divorce attorney as well as a qualified counselor or therapist can help head off some of the issues that can leave a person helpless and homeless after a divorce.
Read more about Espia Gatson and other speakers in the Jacksonville Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau at Speakers share stories about being homeless in Jacksonville.
If you are involved in a divorce or child custody negotiation, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida divorce law firm.