From Uncertainty to Security: Bruce and Jane’s Fresh Start in Tucson

For much of their lives, Bruce and Jane Bower built careers rooted in hard work, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Jane worked as a surgical scrub technician before she and Bruce launched a business together, creating jobs and building a future they expected would carry them into retirement.

Then everything changed.

A trusted financial manager betrayed that trust, leaving the couple’s business and finances devastated. “He wiped out the account. Every penny. Even our phones got shut off. Everything was gone,” Jane recalled. At one point, they spent nights in a van, stayed in a homeless shelter while traveling home from Florida, and worked temporary jobs while trying to rebuild their lives.

Despite the challenges, Bruce and Jane never stopped moving forward.

As they approached retirement age, they began searching for a place where they could afford to live independently while remaining active and connected to their community. From Minnesota, they started researching options across the country and eventually learned about The Marist, AllThrive 365’s affordable housing community in downtown Tucson.

The building was still under construction when they applied.

“We hadn’t even seen the apartment,” Jane said. “We had talked to Rachel. Our application was all approved and she was just so wonderful to us over the phone, and so kind and patient.”

When they finally arrived in Tucson, they brought little more than a bed, two lawn chairs, and the belongings that fit in their van. Jane still remembers the moment she received the keys.

“I’ll never forget that first day,” she said. “Rachel handed me the keys. It makes me want to cry.”

Over the next few years, The Marist became much more than an affordable apartment. It became home.

Bruce, who had never lived in an apartment community before, was surprised by the warm welcome from both residents and staff. “The welcoming aspect was shocking to me,” he said. “The residents were welcoming, so it felt like a small town.”

The sense of stability gave the couple something they had not felt in years: security.

“You can always, with Rachel and Alexis, feel safe,” Jane said. “That feeling of security, of knowing you’re okay, of knowing you’re wanted somewhere, it’s huge.”

That security allowed them to begin dreaming again.

Jane rediscovered her passion for writing, joined local writing groups, and even became a published writer. More recently, she launched a small business, Sonoran Tallow Company, from her apartment kitchen. Bruce credits the stability they found at The Marist with making that possible.

“Think about what the Marist did,” he said. “It allowed us to get rid of that fear.”

Today, Bruce and Jane spend their days writing, building community, and pursuing new opportunities. Looking back, they see affordable housing as the foundation that made their new chapter possible.

“You’re giving people like us such an opportunity to do again and live again,” Jane said. “I feel like now I’m living my best life.”

For Bruce and Jane, a safe, affordable home was not the end of their story. It was the beginning of a new one.