Charles Self

I volunteered when I was 17. I went in for Vietnam and served three and a half years in the Army. After that I worked in industrial construction for 52 years as a pipe fitter and welder. I went wherever the jobs took me. That was my life for a long time.

I carved out a spot by the Green Swamp in Riegelwood, and I got a daily meal from the Good Shepherd Community Center. That was home.

People always ask me how she got her name. When I first got her as a puppy, I put her in my hand and she reminded me of a crock of butter. So I called her Butter at first. Then a few days later I thought of that saying, “Butter my butt and call me a biscuit,” and that was it. She became Butterbutt. She goes with me everywhere.

I’ve been going there ever since. When I walk in, they know who I am. They don’t ask for nothing. They just get straight to it. That helps me a lot because I have a hard time remembering numbers. I come in once a month to get my money and try to live my life the best I can.

They helped me print out my statements so I could show I had income and get an apartment. After I finally got a place to live, I tried to get a new truck at the dealership. They wanted to finance me with some bank in Texas that would have cost me thousands extra over the payoff period, and I can’t afford that. I’m on Social Security, and at 73 years old I can’t afford much of anything. The last thing I want to do is screw anything up with REV.

They’ve helped me a lot more than I could ever dream. If you get in a bind and need help, REV is the one to depend on. God first, REV second. You could do worse. You could do a hell of a lot worse.