Just weeks after going viral for being taken to a BYU football game, Matt joins The Philanthropic Podcast to share his full story.

In Part 1 of 2, Matt opens up about his life before homelessness — from a stable career in computer engineering to how mental illness, COVID, and loss completely changed everything. He shares what it’s like living in a storage unit, how mental health plays into homelessness, and why so many people fall through the cracks of the system.

This conversation is raw and honest — a real look at how fast life can change, what addiction and recovery actually look like, and why empathy matters now more than ever.

🎧 You’ve seen the viral video — now hear the full story.

🕒 Timestamps

0:00 — Welcome to The Philanthropic Podcast
2:01 — Matt’s early life and career in tech
3:04 — How schizophrenia and COVID changed everything
4:32 — Moving to Washington to care for someone in need
5:50 — Eviction during lockdown and the collapse that followed
7:47 — Grieving loss and mental health spiraling
9:14 — Returning to Utah and family struggles
11:21 — Living in a storage unit to survive
14:26 — Addiction, medication, and the truth about mental illness
16:03 — Why most homelessness starts with untreated mental health
20:09 — The system’s failure for single men in Utah
21:31 — What daily life as a homeless person really looks like
26:03 — Matt’s message on how to actually help