First clean year, I started working for Street Sense, 10 years ago.
Street Sense — it has lots of values. It helped me get back in the water, meet a lot of nice people. Now we’re like family out there. Customers have a lot of respect for me.
By second year clean, easy does it; life will get better, if you give yourself a chance. My sponsor told me to take one day at a time. One day you’re gonna be on a pink cloud, where everything is going good. But when that leaves, life’s gonna kick you.
I lost my apartment and stayed in Franklin Shelter. I asked my sponsor, “Why me?” My sponsor said, “Why not you? What you’re going through now will teach you in the near future.”
I’ll never forget when I was at Franklin Shelter. I met all sorts of people. But police kicked us out, blocked out the building. I remember they said, “Go to the 801 shelter, Saint Elizabeth.
I didn’t like 801, but that’s the only place I had to live till I could do better. I got up early in the morning to come sell papers and save a little money up.
I stayed to myself, worked with Street Sense and went to AA meetings, and I stayed away from those struggling with mental illness and drug users and alcoholics at the shelter.
Soon people at the shelter came to me to learn how to apply for housing, how to get checks, how to beat addictions. So I took them out and showed them how to do it. They would say, “The counselors at 801 are not trying to help us because they don’t want to lose their jobs, but you are.”
I learned long ago that whatever they taught me, it’s not mine to keep. My advice and counseling I must give away free of charge.
Seventh year, I was still at 801, and I used to talk all the time to this guy I used to see on the corner every day on a street. He told me to have faith, believe in God. Back then I was feeling bad about myself ‘cause of what I put myself into at the shelter. I lost all my respect for myself. But this guy kept talking to me and giving me Scripture and telling me God put me here for a reason and to keep on learning so I can keep on teaching others and telling them my story.
I look back sometimes at where I came from, and I’m stronger now for what I went through. I don’t call people homeless; I call them unfortunate.
My 10-year clean anniversary day was May 27. At AA meetings we celebrate. And when newcomers are there, we give them courage to keep coming back, telling them there’s hope. We tell them our story to make them feel at ease, to break the ice and make them feel they’re at home. It’s a big family.
Sometimes we each bumped our heads against the wall, and we all need guidance. Now I got 10 years clean, but I didn’t do this thing alone. By God’s grace, He got me and gave me strength. Remember this: You can do anything you want if you set your mind to it. ‘Cause God blesses everybody.
I want to be able to relate to people. What I’m doing is passing it on so other people can do it too.
