Solo female van life at 82: From hopeless hoarding to freedom 

"I'm not here to impose my will on anyone else." How much better would the world be if everyone had this philosophy?

I took care of my mom for the last years of her life. She was a hoarder, out of fear she would lose things she cherished. It was a challenge to help her organize in a way that she had agency and control. Most important was respect.

My niece marshalled the family to move me out of my condo where I'd lived for 40 years, to an apartment closer to her. My brother said I was a level1 hoarder. My niece told me that we got rid of about 3/4 of my stuff in the 4 months leading up to my move. I've been healing mentally and physically in the 9 months since the move. Every so often I miss something, but I am grateful to have gone through this and that I am now in a better, happier, healthier, less cluttered place than before. And I still live my life by the 3 questions my niece asked me: 1. Do you really need it? 2. Does it give you joy? 3. Do you have a place for it? I have such respect for you for helping another person pare down their life so they can actually LIVE it!

I've been decluttering my small home for 5 years so when I die there won't be much to get rid of. I've kept some books, 2 hymnals and 4 or 5 Bibles I've used over the years. Going to get rid of some winter clothes I never really wore much and already did it with summer clothes.

I don't think anyone else could have done this but you Carol. You have the right personality. You are patient and kind. You were able to walk the delicate tightrope of respect and firmness. I also think she was ready to do it. Not happy, but understanding that you weren't forcing her. Control is a major issue with hoarders and you allowed her to remain in charge. I love seeing her helping you minimize. Take a well earned rest. I know it was exhausting for all involved. Thanks for the update. AWESOME Job!!❤

You not only talk the talk. You actually walk the walk. A rarity in many people. You are a Blessing to others. Thank you for being you and video. Many Blessings to you. Hugs to you dear lady.

My daughter helped me get rid of stuff when we sold our big house and moved into our much smaller retirement house. I so appreciate her doing it. I was really struggling with getting rid of stuff. I didn’t watch her do it, and honestly I haven’t missed one item she got rid of.

I did home care and hospice for years on Cape Cod. It amazed me how much people held onto. But for a lot of people, each item carried a memory and that was sacred to them. It is very challenging to help those that can't help themselves. Bless you.

Here's the thing: I purge after forgetting stuff in the back of a closet or cupboard or on top of cupboards when I accidentally find it after a month or two...Once Teresa loses sight of those things in storage for a while, she will come to realize she actually doesn't need a lot of it and this will help her let more go. Well done!

This is an act of love and a sacred work you are doing Carol.God bless you and give you the strength to finish this race with Teresa,may she come to know Gods love for her thru this project.

My husband was a hoarder. He would bring things into my house and hide them under our bed and other places. He had already filled up two of his own houses. Needless to say, our marriage did not last long. I couldn't stand the hoarding.

My god, woman….you have the patience of Job. I salute your good heart, and admire your ability to be so accepting and tolerant of people who are struggling. Personally, I would run screaming for the hills!

Carol just in hopes she is watching and reading comment.... Ms. Please know you are loved and you are being blessed because of your bravery. Stay strong and you got this. I'll be cheering you on and keeping you in my prayers from Des Moines, Iowa. Carol, Thanks for having that gift of help and caring and uses it to the biggest ability you can. Blessings!

It's amazing how much she trusted you given that she is a hoarder. Good job! You are a sweet lady :-)

:) THANK SO MUCH for sharing and HELPING Teresa! ALL the BEST and looking forward to her getting a real bed :) ! ! !

There is nothing tht compares to your 'home' being organized!! It relaxes your mind, and believe it or not- You tend to save so much money because you figure out that most things you buy are not needed and you refuse to clutter your home anymore Wow! You really are helping this Lady in so many ways, you are making her life more peaceful.. Great Job!

"Love thy neighbor.... " & “Whatever you did for one of the least of these... " Each week as I eliminate from my life more and more of the things that weigh me down, there's always GLOWs to lift me up. There's not a lot left on tv or youtube that I can watch anymore. I can only look in admiration on how you live your life, and the good and pure pervasive messaging you share with us each and every week. This is indeed a safe space for me and I appreciate it & God Bless you. 👼

You're out doing God's work.bless you🙏♥️😊

God Bless you for helping Theresa. The expression on her face in that pic, just the look in her eye, looked so much less hopeless and afraid. I know that feeling you had of feeling completely overwhelmed when you've jumped in to take something on that has to be done, but seems impossible halfway through! Our last move was that way...the landlord sold out to investors and only gave us 30 day's notice, then, shortly after that, my mother's apartment building decided that everyone on her floor needed to relocate to other floors while they did major roof repairs, all WHILE my mom was in the hospital. Every time I THOUGHT I was almost finished combing through her stuff, I'd pull down a blanket, and find a whole, huge new pile that had to be sifted/sorted/ disposed of without leaving account numbers, etc behind. I started out doing this on a cane, and ended up having to use my mom's wheelchair to do all the last back and forth from the apt to the car, or laundry room or dumpster. I was like you on both moves....talking myself into calming down, "Don't think about all of it, just these next few boxes here", etc. I'm now using TWO canes, my dear mother ended up passing away that next year, and I've STILL got a bunch of her stuff in a storage building down the street. You're right...its all Baby Steps...(Sigh!) Thanks again for the update!

Your heart is so big. Love and prayers to you. I'm so glad you helped this precious lady.

Love to Theresa and all the rest of you. At least it is only a van full. Imagine an entire house plus multiple storage lockers and maybe a full yard. Wherever there is room... May Theresa be happy in the end of all this. And gets tons of loving support afterward. So it isn't all for not. ❤

At least her items were all in bags nice and neat once you got them into storage. Good job so far.

Wow, that's a start. I'm so glad to see the minivan seats. Good jo Carol, I can't wait to see the finish.

That's a LOT of progress!

Carol, God bless you !!! You brought such hope and light in helping this elderly woman to declutter her van. you are a testimony of God's kindness and love.

You have alot of patients,God bless you and your journey

Ms Gloria you are a Godsend because you have a lot of patience.. bless you 🙏🏽💕

Congrats Carol, Theresa, and Jose!! Any work done is a win, and you 3 did a lot!! ❤

I once heard that some hoarders feel that the items actually have feelings so they can’t let them go. They don’t want the items to feel rejected. Also many hoarders begin their hoarding after a traumatic event. That helped me understand their condition better. You have done a truly wonderful thing. Teresa looks happy. 😆

God Bless you for helping her ❤

When my mother passed, and I had to empty out her house, thankfully with the invaluable help of my husband, what kept reverberating in my head was the lines from the "Old Rugged Cross": So I'll cherish that old rugged cross, 'till my trophies at last I lay down..." Boy, you talk about the chickens coming home to roost...I finally realized what those trophies were all about...the only thing we take with us is our soul...earthly possessions are nothing...

Well done Carol, and your helping this elderly lady. Also for getting Pascal on board to build out her car. Wonderful you have such a big heart, it doesn't go un noticed. Mems Journeys Aotearoa NZ

Carol, You are a brave woman! And very special.

You have made a lot of progress. This poor lady needed someone and you came along. God bless 😊

Bless your heart. Again , you are a God send. Hang in there. I, for one love you for what you do to help people. Linda

Before my parents passed away, my sister and I would try over the years to get rid of the junk and clutter they had accumulated. Needless to say, it was always a battle, arguing and constant resistance. After they were gone, it took us at least 4 months of tossing things, using Got Junk on several occasions and packing up momentous for storage to clear out their three bedroom house. It was truly frustrating and exhausting. So, my hat is off to you for taking the “baby” steps to help this lady. God Bless

You REALLY have your head on straight, Woman. You’re a blessing to this world - especially today. Thanks for your helping.

Wow! What a blessing you are! I absolutely love kind generous people..definitely restores my faith in humanity..thank you..thank you for helping Theresa! 💕💕💕💕💕

Thank you for helping her and for being so understanding about her issues. ❤

You are a warrior Miss Carol. Keep shining your light! 🌞 ❤ Sacramento, California USA 🇺🇸

Carol, you & Teresa’s friend are saints. Talking to yourself? What’s wrong with that? Perfectly normal & it helps! It’s funny how we can learn life lessons at any age if we’re open to it. Bless you ❤

Bless you for being present in a crises. You are an Angel 😇 Rest now and stay positive 🙏

Good job, and the kindness and empathy is Priceless!! 🎉🎉

God bless you for helping this lady! I so enjoy your channel and plan to travel part-time sooner than later.

What you said in this video struck a chord with me. I thank you for reminding me that imposing your will on someone else (even though you think that you're only trying to HELP them) it's still not their will, but your own. I must keep that in mind while I am dealing with a situation with someone very close to me. The person I know- wants help, but they don't if that makes any sense. A person's mind may not be quite ready for change, or, they may have deeply imbedded traumas or habits that prevent them from being able to accept the HELP. I give you loads of credit for wanting to help and for being quite compassionate and understanding. Bless you Glow. Giving her a place to sleep where she can relax and be calm may help her to see the importance; but being realistic, it may only last for a little while. No matter though; you did what you could to help, that is AMAZING, and the folks who donated so that it could be done; you are AMAZING TOO. God bless each & every one of you.

Gracias Carol🌹🌹🌹May the Lord bless you for your act of kindness !

❤ wow some people would be taking Meds by now😅 but you are amazing ❤ for helping this woman in a hard place that's a lot of stuff amazing work being done thank you for who you are all you give to help others lives become more comfortable

One trash can full is a big start. Bless you for caring and helping. Good karma will be coming your way! 🙏🏻☮️♥️✊🏻😊👩🏻‍🌾

God Bless You 🙏, you have a beautiful soul ❤️. Teresa is a blessed person for having you in her life. Don't give up, you will make it to the end and all will be worth it.

Thank you for the update. Hoping that this progress will continue and make life easier for Teresa ❤

God Bless You Both!

You are the sweetest, most amazing and giving person. My prayers to you my dear!🥰🥰

You are such a sweetheart. What an amazing thing you've done for this woman. ❤

You're an angel for helping her. God bless you.

Congrats on these steps forward ❤

Keep the faith. You will succeed!

God bless you for helping her. You have much more patience than I do. I know I'll get smack for saying this, but shame on her for not learning to speak English. Or at least enough to carry on a simple conversation. Also, if her mental issue is not dealt with she will have that van filled back up in no time. I hope I'm wrong.

God bless you and all who dinated to help this lady we need more people like you all.

You're doing a great job, Carol. It can be hard to get rid of stuff, especially if you've ever been through a period of life when you were lacking. Eventually, though, it can wear you down and your belongings start to own you. It's been hard for me to downsize, and I still need a storage unit. Sigh....

Wow!! I can't believe all that STUFF came out of that van!And y'all weren't finished yet either, not yet by a long shot!! Truly a labor of love, Carol. GOD BLESS YOU for caring. Looking forward to updates on the situation. Take care

You have so much patience and a heart for helping folks in need❤️🌹🙏

Amazing job you guys accomplished with patience. 🤓 👍

Carol you have the patience of a saint & a heart of pure gold. Still ... be prepared... the bigger challenges may not have yet occurred... right now she has a van w/ interior build in progress AND still in possession of all her things ... and I need not say more you are already there 🙃. It may come to the point that paying for an extra months storage rental if possible & walking away after the van build is completed and you have helped her get organized in the van w/ essentials & then letting her & her friend decide how to go forth from there is your best path ... you have done so much for this lady - I suspect this lady may come with a baggage full of challenging history .. where is her family, any children? You have many skills & lotsa compassion that renew one’s faith in the humanity of helping others 🥀🌻🌈🌺

A power of love getting us through this is you thankful for you an all that you do see through taking Teresa from nowhere to now here itz a matter of spacing/ pacing slow an steady so glad she was ready 🙏🏻 keep going Teresa you got this you are loved no such thing as alone 🙏🏻 Thank you for sharing ✌️💞🤟

Carol, you are amazing! What patience! As soon as I heard she had changed her mind, I would have been out. I hope when this project is done, she’s grateful you entered her life. Thank you for helping her.

God bless you, you wonderful woman. In order to start this lifestyle I had to give up so much. I wish I could have someone like you to support me. I'm eleven months into this now, but some of my stuff I lost still hurts.

❤Bless you ❤️

I love your fighting spirit. I agree about "baby steps"; it is the perfect moto for this project. You may just be what Theresa needs to modify her hoarding behavior. I will stay tuned. I'm not only learning from this series but entertained as well. Best of luck with this fascinating project!

Beautiful! Hugs!

Hi Carol. Thank you for sharing Theresa’s new journey and hope for her. All the blessings to you Carol🙏🏻💕

You are such a blessing to others❤

I want to see how long this will last. I wish you the best. You can’t change a leopard spots but it’s great to see people like you who is willing to try.

You're doing an amazing job. I remember I knew a hoarder who actually asked me to clean her house while she was gone. It wasn't overly bad but it was bad and she went away on vacation for a week and I spent the entire week cleaning our house. About a month later I went over to visit her and it was right back to the way it was. That's the problem with hoarders they can't always stop. I hope this works out. You're an amazing person to do all this

You’re doing a great deed. Slowly does it. She will appreciate this in the long run. ❤

I have to agree - that Lady is very fortunate to have a kind patient helper. Kudos to this RU-vid Lady Helper!

God bless you carol❤🙏🏾

🩷 so sweet of you to help this lady.

What a caring and lovely person you are ❤

I know it’s so hard… I’m in the same boat… fear keeps me there… lack of trust… always having to look after yourself not having someone to depend upon… I thank you for coming along and helping her.. what a great gift to do…somethings just seem so overwhelming…little steps little steps make progress

My sister is a hoarder too. I have driven to OR twice in these past 4 months [5 weeks total] to help her... it has been one of the hardest things I have done. She doesn't want to let anything go, she just wants to reorganize stuff that she doesn't need or that doesn't even fit her 😮. So watching this video, I truly feel your pain! You are a good person! Good luck, GM

God Bless you, dear Carol. You are a God sent angel for Teresa and for many… your exemple inspire us to follow your lead. Thank you. Love that what you say come from wisdom and not judgement.

Janet Andrews hello from Virginia: I laughed so hard I cried carol not at this situation but because I have been in the same situation as a senior trying to help another senior who was in a bad situation boy did it go South really fast. Stay safe my sister keep doing good things you will never go wrong stay blessed.

Hugs to You. God Bless

❤ Carol you are a blessing 🙌 thank you for what you do in making a difference ❤

Bless you for helping her🌞🦋💖

Hope this works out so she has a better living situation!

Thank for what your trying to do you are a Blessing for her

Thank you so much for helping her.

God Bless you BIG TIME.

Wow 😮. Lot of stuff, but thnxs 4 having patience with her... Maybe once Err-thaNg's done ... She might go ahead && get rid of that stuff... Can't see it anyway all piled up .. bless her heart... I pray life gets better for her... God sent you are Ms Carol! ❤

Thanks for sharing

What I agree with you, my love, this is the internet. Don't put people's business on here. You're right.

Girl you are simply the best ❤. Thanks 4 being there.

👏👏. Good job. That would’ve been stressful., I hope she appreciates it, but I don’t know. God will reward you, Carol. I wonder why she didn’t bother to learn English because she would get along so much easier. Thinking about how her employers she said, just let her go. There are two sides to every story and as you know when you get older, you realize that. We realize a lot of things when we get older. 🥴 you did good.

You have such a wonderful heart.

God Bless you for helping Teresa. You are amazing. I pray her situation changes for the good. Please keep us updated I would like to send money to pay for her storage unit for a month. Not sure where she is located but if she is Georgia I can help her with a free room in a safe house.

Y😅u got that much in the trash she was willing to part with! You and she did GREAT! Seriously You really did great… … now to go thru her “treasures” and why each piece brings her joy or special meaning … now can we take a picture and pass it on to someone else? Clothes? Old, torn, stained? Don’t fit… It’s a process … words of encouragement but don’t over due. Baby steps. Somewhere you will discover the trauma trigger and she’ll ‘see’ and that’s where the How could I live like this? Healing begins… God will give you insight too…. Be very aware of her loading up the van again … sometimes it takes many clean outs before hoarding trauma is dealt with … you have helped … you will never have failed her…. Remember it’s a mental health issue Ask God what to pray for and what spirits to pray against

You are brave and patient

I sincerely hope, for her sake, that Teresa gets some treatment for issue with hoarding. Otherwise it's just a matter of time before the van is back to being crammed full of stuff again. I didn't watch the initial video, and I'm glad I didn't. The thumbnail of an 82 year old woman sleeping in the front seat of her van upset me enough. Finding out that she has a hoarding issue would have only made things worse for me. I'm glad you were able to help her, Carol, because dealing with a hoarder is not something most people are equipped to do.

She is so well kept to be living in a vehicle so stuffed. Are you sure she isn’t living part time somewhere? Your heart is so big, you have taken on a big project.