If you keep up with the news, you probably know almost everything about celebrities or politicians. This is understandable; their stories are either very interesting or are glamorized to be. What people fail to see is the stories that are much closer to home. Virgil Coffey was a man that you probably haven’t heard of. He wasn’t a celebrity or important in the world of politics, but he has an amazing story.
Virgil was a man who, despite being a college graduate, became homeless after he was unable to find work in Corpus Christi. He never begged for money but instead would go through dumpsters to collect cans and food. He was also an animal lover; he had a pack of five dogs: Max, Julius, Cocoa, Paco, and Lilly.
He loved and cared for them as if they were his children, but he knew that they deserved more. In hopes of finding them a better life, he reached out to Sara Kuris-Morgan and Jennifer Diaz, two women who are involved with “Taking it to the Streets”, an event benefiting the homeless that is hosted by Bay Area Fellowship West Side Campus.
“He was sitting alone at a table bundled up in several coats with hoods,” says Sara, describing the first time she met him. “We noticed that he had several dogs and asked him if we could help him get the dogs spayed/neutered. At first he was reluctant, but agreed to let us. With the help of Oso Creek Hospital, PAAC and The Cattery, we were able to get all of his pack vetted. Going to his camp to pick up the dogs for their appointment was a wake-up call for both Jennifer and I. He was living in a field in a dangerous part of town and it was very cold. He was sleeping on some cushions on the ground. It really broke my heart to see him living like this. I asked him why he didn’t go to a shelter and he said he did not want to leave his dogs in a cage with the other dogs. He was afraid they would not get along. As time went on, we would meet him on the weekends when Loaves and Fishes was closed and we would bring him a hot meal. He was so appreciative of everything we did for him.”
On February 22nd, Virgil asked Sara if she could help him find homes for them, so she posted a picture of Virgil and his dogs on Facebook. Robin Gentry, the then Vice President of the board at The Gulf Coast Humane Society, contacted her and said that GCHS would take three of his dogs.
“On our way to meet Virgil, I thought I would take Robin on a short tour of Virgil’s neighborhood and show her where he lived,” says Sara. “We looked across the field and saw Virgil sitting on a bench near his camp. This was very unusual for him to just be sitting around during the day. As we got closer, we realized that he was very sick. Robin is a nurse, and said that we needed to get him to a hospital as soon as possible. She immediately said that GCHS would take all of the dogs so we could get Virgil to the hospital. He fought a long, hard battle against pneumonia, but unfortunately he passed away on May 7, 2014.”
Sara describes Virgil as a man to whom dogs simply gravitated.
“He was a very kind, gentle man. He didn’t ask for anything from anyone and lived a very simple life. He was very intelligent and I was surprised with the topics he would discuss. They all cuddled up together at night to keep each other warm,” she says. “He had one dog on each side of him when he slept. Virgil loved his dogs and they loved him! He loved to read and always had a Bible at his camp. There were many times when his camp was robbed or destroyed, but he always found another Bible to keep with him.”
This experience has had a big impact on Sara’s life.
“This experience has opened my eyes to the tremendous amount of need in our own community. It breaks my heart to see women and children, military vets, etc. that are hungry. I began this journey by trying to help the homeless get their dogs spayed, neutered, and vaccinated. It has grown into a great passion for me. Every day when I get up, I am so thankful for my many blessings… wonderful healthy family, roof over my head, food on the table, and good job. What else can you ask for?”
As of June 14th 2014, all five of Virgil’s dogs have found their forever homes through the Gulf Coast Humane Society. Virgil’s story will most likely never have a place in history books or national news, but he already has a place in the hearts of all 5 dogs’ hearts as a hero.
The Gulf Coast Humane Society 