Over a Zoom, Theresa Goins holds up the few photos she has of her dad. They are the only photos she has of Anthony Goins.
"We were coming from a wedding," she described holding one of the photos to the screen. “My mom did like her Tina Turner hair."
In that photo, Theresa was still a little girl. When she grew a little older, her mother separated from her father. She said the decision to do so was because he struggled with an addiction to alcohol.
She said he went to live with his brother out of state. When his mother died it sent him into a downward spiral. And when his brother also passed away, his only lifelines were gone.
Theresa said she would often get phone calls from her dad from random numbers. He would check in on her, but he never let her know where he was.
“I know he never wanted me to see his struggle, and I respect him for that,” said Goins. “I knew he was in and out of shelters and I knew he had the street smarts. He knew how to survive.”
Late last month, Anthony Goins' body was found behind a hotel-turned homeless shelter, where he was staying.
"You know I understand if you have rules. But it was cold. It was cold," said Theresa.
She doesn’t know much but she believes he was kicked out of the shelter where he was staying and his death could have been prevented. Her dad’s body was discovered behind the building, behind a dumpster.
"That's a devastating situation for anybody," she cried.
Last year, according to the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, 110 people died in the cold. They said there have already been a few deaths this year.
“These are not uncommon problems and they are tragic every time,” said Michael Corey, the executive director of the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County.
“It's a tragedy for the family, the community, and the service providers trying to deliver the help that is so desperately needed," he said.
Corey explained that helping those who can't advocate for themselves is a problem that's even worse now.
"That has gotten enormously more challenging and the need has grown significantly since March of 2020," he said.
He said however there is some hope in the new proposed stimulus package.
"Paying for community health workers,” he explained. "A person that is paid to go out into the community, find out what folks need, and then tell them how to get that help. There has never been a federal initiative to pay for something like that until now."
For now, Theresa Goins is sharing her pain to prevent this from happening to someone else's dad.
“Help people who [are] struggling who truly can't help themselves and maybe their family might not be able to help them. They are people, they are human beings and they have families,” she said.
A service for Anthony Goins will happen March 13 in Youngstown at the Sterling McCullough-Williams Funeral Home.
The YMCA, which runs the shelter, said it is looking into the circumstances of Anthony's death.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can get information on addiction by logging onto DontLiveinDenial.org.