Jeff Williams lost everything when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit.
Before the pandemic, Williams, 37, a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, made his living operating a traditional fry bread food booth called Native Roots at farmers markets, county fairs and other events across Washington using a special recipe he learned from his grandmother as a child.
When all events were canceled, Williams found himself in free fall.
First, he lost his income, then his apartment in Everett. He moved in with family in the Seattle area and sold nearly all of his possessions, including the equipment needed to operate Native Roots and, as a musician, his beloved percussion instruments. His church closed, and his community dissipated.
“I had to sell everything to survive,” he said.
With no income and no end to the pandemic in sight, he took what little money he had and set out to drive across the United States, a lifelong dream. Over the next few months, he slowly made his way across the country, volunteering at churches, community centers and food banks — helping others whose lives had also been upended by the pandemic.
“I met some really, really great people out there,” Williams said.
In November, after nearly a year of volunteering and working across the U.S., he decided to make his way back to Seattle. He stopped in Vancouver to see the Columbia River Gorge and decided to stay.