I began to be homeless at 17 years old. My grandmother put me out because I wouldn’t save my money. She helped me get a government job working in the sewer department. It was a one-year contract, and because I don’t have a GED, they let me go. Then, I went to stay with my mother for three years, then I was on my own. Then, of course, I had several jobs when I was on my own, and it was hard for me to survive. Then, I found a friend to live with. I also stayed with a classmate from school, when I was in the government. His mother would only charge me about $50 to $70 a month to stay with them. Then, they put me out. Then, I was, again, homeless. I also stayed with my girlfriend and with my baby’s mother. All this happened in Southeast Washington, D.C. I left because they tried to kill me over there, so I went Northwest. I loved Northwest because you can make money there. There, I went to Street Sense and started to make more money and that was a blessing for me to survive the street. I advise people that are younger than me: don’t do what I did. Listen to your family, and you would be a better person than I was; please learn from my mistakes. You would have a better life than you think.
