Homelessness comes in many forms, and that was certainly true for David. For a long time, David relied on his mother for support, and when she passed away suddenly, he was faced with many difficult decisions, including where to live. David moved in with his sister for a short period, but found the chaotic nature of many nieces and nephews to be a struggle while he attended outpatient treatment and battled the weight of his mother’s passing. David decided on a stay at Rivendell Behavioral Health to get his alcoholism under control, and that is where he learned about Our House. While David waited for a bed to become available, he sold some of his personal belongings to afford a hotel room, and when that ran out, he was forced to sleep in his car for the first time. The next morning, David was able to check into the Shelter at the perfect time. David immediately dedicated himself to working in the Career Center every day to find a job. “I had the drive to find something quick,” David says. “I built a great rapport with the staff, and when I was anxiously searching, they were able to calm me down and say ‘you got this.’” David wasn’t able to find a job in his first three weeks, but because of his perseverance, he was a great candidate to work on campus in a job training position. In the Children’s Center, David assists with housekeeping and meals, and is fitting in so well! “It’s very rewarding to see the kids every day. When I hear them call me ‘Mr. David,’ it just takes my mind off of everything in the outside world.”
David is taking full advantage of the resources in the Career Center – taking budgeting and tenant readiness classes and gathering tools to repay his loans. David is focusing on one day at a time, but he would love to transition from the Shelter to the Family House to build a rental history and his credit. Even though David is living apart from his family for the time being, he made sure that no one felt as if he was deserting them. In fact, David sees his stay at Our House as just the opposite – a chance to rebuild relationships, stay clean, and become a healthier, happier person for his daughter.
