About
I learned to see people as people.
The story of William Lodge, and why Williams Compass exists.
Homelessness did not destroy me. It revealed me.
For a long time, I thought homelessness was something to be ashamed of. That is what the world teaches people. But I learned to see it from the inside. And what I found changed me. I learned not to judge people so quickly, because I learned how fast life can change. I learned that I did not want to be judged only by my lowest moments, so I had to stop judging others by theirs.
Through setbacks, instability, and limited resources, I taught myself full-stack development, AI tools, server management, SEO, and mobile app workflows — all while figuring out how to survive. I learned how to write on a cell phone. I learned how to install Linux on a phone. I worked gigs to pay for domains, hosting, and tools. I kept moving through doubts, lack of Wi-Fi, lack of stability, and loss.
Williams Compass is more than a name to me. It is a direction. It is the idea that even when life gets confusing, I can still find a way. It is the belief that experience can become guidance. Pain can become purpose. Survival can become wisdom. And a person who has been lost can still help others find their way.
Support
Help keep the compass pointing forward.
Williams Compass is built independently, with limited resources and unlimited determination. Support helps fund development, verification, hosting, translation, and the ongoing work of turning lived experience into tools that serve people in need.
Williams Compass has been formed as a Colorado nonprofit. The next step is applying for federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status once the filing fee is covered. Until that status is approved, contributions should be treated as personal support for the mission and may not be tax-deductible.
I have funded and continue to fund these projects by working while living outside — quietly and respectfully — putting what I can back into hosting, domains, tools, research, and verification work. If this mission speaks to you, even a small gift helps keep the work moving forward.