Marion woman to speak at DNC

MARION - A Marion County family's story of overcoming homelessness will be told to a national audience this week.

Beth Mathias of Marion is one of several everyday Americans invited to speak during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. According to the DNC website, Mathias will take the stage at the Wells Fargo Center following the gavel at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The invitation to the convention was the result of a visit Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made to Marion earlier this year. Mathias met Clinton on March 13 at 8 Sisters Bakery in downtown Marion during a campaign stop prior to the Ohio Primary Election.

"I got to sit at the roundtable with her," Mathias said. "She had asked about my story and just kind of where we are in life and what struggles my family has. I felt like she was really listening, like she understood what we were saying and that she actually cared. She wanted to know what everyday people are going through."

Mathias related her story to Clinton, telling the former First Lady of the United States about her family's experiences.

"Just 10 years ago, I was homeless and I was sleeping in abandoned houses and couch-hopping between friends," Mathias said. "As of a year ago this May, we actually paid off our house. We have the deed to the house. I, of course, went to college and I have an associate's degree. I'm trying to get back into college to finish up my degree."

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Mathias holds down two jobs, working for Goodwill Industries and Bridges to Independence, both in Marion. At Goodwill, Mathias serves as a grant coordinator. She is a direct support specialist for Bridges to Independence. Her husband, Curtis, works for Andersen Windows in Marion. The couple has two children, Korbyn, 8, and Sophie, 4.

"Every day is still a struggle, but we've come a long way from where we started, that's for sure," Mathias said.

Apparently her story made an impact on the former secretary of state. Mathias said she received the invitation to speak at the convention about three weeks ago.

"The whole thing has been a whirlwind," Mathias said. "It's just an unbelievable opportunity to just share what people like me are going through."

What message is Mathias planning to deliver to the nation on Thursday?

"I'm going to discuss even though we've come a long way, we're still struggling," she said. "We have student debt. We have medical debt. I'm working two jobs. My husband's working third shift. We're literally working 24 hours a day. We still struggle and we need to find something that can help us out of this rut."

Mathias said she believes Clinton is the presidential candidate best-equipped to lead the United States at this point in time.

"I think that she can generally help bring policies to the table that can help everyday people," Mathias said. "I think she has the leadership and the know how. She, herself, is a person like us. She was one of us at one point and has worked her way up to where she is. I think she brings to the table the knowledge. I think that she would be good for our country."

Live coverage from Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

Hillary Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is scheduled to speak Thursday night prior to her mother delivering the final address of the convention.

Former President Bill Clinton is one of the featured speakers on Tuesday. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are on the schedule for Wednesday.

eacarter@gannett.com

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Twitter: @AndrewCarterMS