London, Ont., couple opens home to a stranger in need of a way out of the cold

A London, Ont., couple is showing the true spirit of giving by opening the doors of their home to a stranger in need.

For Dean and Grace DiPietro, the act of generosity comes eight months after the couple lost their 38-year-old son to the same struggles that afflict their house guest, Jacob Tessier.

"The mental illness that comes with it — nobody will really understand it unless they see it day in and day out. But Jacob is my new friend. He's been a great help around here," Grace said of Tessier, 38.

Tessier declined to be interviewed, but was happy for the DiPietros to share the story of their meeting. 

The couple's first interaction with Tessier came about a month ago at the Tim Hortons at Southdale Road and Adelaide Street. He had been sleeping in the sheltered walkway of the plaza and in the nearby woods.

After they bought him a coffee, a staff member told Tessier to leave and threatened to call police. The couple sat with him, and later gave him a tent and items to stay warm. Dean later returned to the Tim Hortons and asked the staff member to apologize.

"We're both retired veterans. I've seen a lot of stuff myself, and I just kind of told her, you don't know what's going on," he said.

Staying in spare room

Grace occasionally visited the plaza to see if Tessier was there. On one occasion, she bought him coffee. On another, she took him shopping.

After her grandson's karate lesson one day, Grace found the man in the cold with dirty blankets and a small bag.

"He goes, 'Oh, I'm just trying to keep warm.' I said, 'You know what, I got a warmer place for you.'"

For the last three weeks, he's been staying in the couple's spare room and volunteering with household chores.

Dean recently posted in a Pond Mills Facebook group requesting clothing and received more than a dozen replies. It came in response to another user asking about Tessier's whereabouts.

It turns out Tessier has family in the area, including a father and sister, but his mood swings are hard for them, the couple said, noting he'll be staying with his family for Christmas.

Grieving their son

"They have children around, and it's really hard on them. I know because we've been there," Grace said. Their son, Andrew, died in April after battling drug addiction for more than a decade.

"He was doing really well at the beginning of 2022. Toward the end of 2022, I don't know what happened. It just takes once, and you're hooked again. I think that's what happened."  

The couple said their son was living on his own and would call every couple of days. They would also see him hanging around downtown London. One day, the calls stopped.

"He had passed away about a week before, maybe four or five days prior. That was very hard," Dean said.

Grace said her late son's struggles likely played a subconscious role in wanting to help Tessier.

"It's the hardest thing, losing anyone," she said tearfully. "But when you lose a child unexpectedly, so suddenly, so drastically, and you don't even have a chance to say goodbye … it just tears you apart."

The couple cares for Andrew's son, Isaiah, whom they adopted at birth and is now in the fourth grade. Before Tessier arrived, Grace and Isaiah would hand out care packages to those sleeping rough.

It's not clear how long Tessier will stay with the DiPietros. He has told them he wants independence and his own place.

The couple plans to help him apply for housing, but it may be challenging. More than 1,500 households were on the city's wait-list for rent-geared-to-income housing last month.

"If it's cold out there, I'm not gonna send him out with a blanket and a pillow," Grace said. "Dean and I will work something out and make sure he's well-kept."

Help us fight hunger by considering a donation to the London Food Bank. Until the end of December, CBC London is raising money for Londoners in need through our Sounds of the Season campaign. For more details, click on the link.