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Willis Dady dedicates homeless day center to late client, employee
How Hector Perez became a household name to those he put before himself
Jul. 25, 2023 8:45 am, Updated: Jul. 26, 2023 7:40 am
CEDAR RAPIDS — In life, Hector Perez was there for everyone, no matter the personal challenges he contended with day to day.
After his death in December 2021, Willis Dady is ensuring that he will still be there for everyone who comes after him — not only in spirit, but also in name.
As Perez’s friends, co-workers and family gathered Monday at Willis Dady Works on First Avenue NW to celebrate what would have been his 43rd birthday, they renamed the space where he’ll always be remembered: Hector’s Day Center.
The renaming, which has been in the works since Saint Pius X Catholic Church helped Willis Dady with funding to secure the day center space, will ensure that Hector Perez remains a household name among those living homeless in Cedar Rapids.
“When people hear ‘Hector’s Place,’ they’ll know it’s a place where they can get help,” said Crystal Carter, outreach case manager for Willis Dady. “No matter what, there’s always a person willing to listen.”
Since opening in November 2022, the center has served 88 people — more than half the homeless population recorded in Linn County. With hours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, those without housing can drop in to do laundry, take a shower, relax and receive access to lifesaving resources in a safe space out of the elements.
For a highly vulnerable and misunderstood population, it serves basic daily needs without requiring an appointment, which can be hard for clients living in fight-or-flight mode to adhere to.
The New York native was one of Willis Dady’s greatest success stories. After moving to Iowa in 2017 to be reunited with his daughter, Perez came to know Willis Dady staff through the services he used.
Over a few years, the recovering addict worked his way to sobriety, served as an ambassador to other people experiencing homelessness, and graduated from Willis Dady’s permanent supportive housing program. In time, he started mentoring other adults and youth struggling with similar challenges as a Willis Dady employee.
Later, he relapsed in his addiction and went missing in December 2021. His body was found in a Hiawatha pond in March 2022.
But despite his shortcomings, those who know him best said they’ll remember Perez for the countless people he helped — even when it meant helping others before himself.
“No matter what somebody’s going through, that’s not what they are — it doesn’t define them,” said Shannon Fay, veteran housing case manager for Willis Dady.
To her, Perez’s name on the building represents change and growth.
To other close friends, it represents the tenacity of the human spirit — and a reminder that flaws do not outweigh the overwhelming legacy of a human being.
“It’s an honest representation that the life he lived is not the last sad thing he had done,” said longtime friend Meredith Crawford, a community engagement librarian at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. “I think it speaks volumes to the kind of person he wanted to be in the world and existed as — full of love and compassion and bringing people together.”
Perez, known as “Superman” in the homeless community, worked hard to not only live the life he wanted to lead, but bring others along with him.
His daughter, who only knew her father as he earned that nickname later in life, said he got it by showing up to help whoever was in need, whenever they were in need. Before he died, Superman was tattooed into his skin as a reminder of how he wanted to help in a world that wasn’t always there for him.
After he died, five people told her that he was the only reason they were still sober.
“No matter the struggle he was dealing with, he still set time aside to put other people before him,” said Angelica Perez, 23. “I hope (the name dedication) makes one person do something similar.”
Having known him for only four years as a young adult, the University of Iowa graduate vividly remembers her father for his “dad jokes” and a shared sense of humor -- a quality his friends noted.
“That’s all I want to remember,” she said, as her voice broke. “And how much he cared for people — too much.”
Angelica saw part of herself in him as she got acquainted with him, driving him to shelters, Goodwill and appointments to get back on his feet. But virtually everyone who knew Hector saw part of themselves in him, no matter how long the relationship lasted.
After the judgment her father endured, it’s why Angelica still feels ill when she sees homelessness on the streets — not because of the person in front of her, but because of the neglect that causes them to get there.
“It’s not ‘what did they do,’ it’s ‘what happened,’ ” she said. “We constantly (judge) people and ignore this human being going through something.”
Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com
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