Christopher
Christopher
July 19, 2022
By Aiza Evans, Homeless Outreach Team Lead
Last year, I supported a Park Center member named Christopher who was experiencing homelessness. In December 2021, Christopher was experiencing suicidal ideation and he called me pleading for help. I called Mental Health Cooperative’s Crisis Intervention Team and he was taken to a crisis unit where he received treatment for three days. On his last day of treatment, he received great news and learned he was accepted into a sober housing program. A co-worker and I arranged transportation to get him from the crisis unit to his new home.
This past June, I visited Christopher at his workplace to see how he was doing and I almost didn’t recognize him; he looked healthier and happier and so full of life! He shared with me that he had been reflecting on his moments of homelessness just earlier that day, before I even reached out to meet with him. Christopher mentioned that he still can’t believe that being homeless was part of his life journey. Experiencing homelessness was a real struggle for him and it took a toll on his physical and mental health. “I didn’t have a problem finding anywhere to sleep, I was always standing on my bed. The biggest hardship was finding food,” Christopher shared. He reminisced about the times he slept under the bridge, in a porta potty, or on the front steps of a church. He faced many challenges like constantly having his belongings stolen, lack of shelter from severe storms, and dealing with his mental health. Christopher shared that, “Being homeless was exhausting. My body would be so tired, but my mind kept going, and it was always negative thoughts. They just wouldn’t stop.” Christopher learned that he had to “Let go and let God.”
I asked Christopher if he had advice for anyone who is currently experiencing homelessness and he said, “Reach out for help, immediately. There’s a lot of mental anguish that happens when you’re homeless. Let go of the pride and the denial and admit that you’re needing help. Be straight and upfront with what you’re needing and don’t dwell on the past. You can’t move on if you’re constantly beating yourself up with ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’. It’s not the end, it’s only the beginning and you have to trust the process because God will prevail.”
Christopher knows how hard it is to ask for help and stated that he was afraid, embarrassed, ashamed, prideful and in denial. He knows how it feels when you can’t take care of yourself or your kids. He said “you lose your sense of purpose.” He encourages anybody who is experiencing homelessness to talk to someone who has been where they are - someone who has lived through that experience and has overcome homelessness and to try to stay encouraged through it all.
Christopher has been thriving lately. He just graduated from a 6-month recovery program and earned his 6-month sobriety chip. He is staying busy, working two jobs at Goodwill and Bargain Hunt. He has access to hot meals, sleeps in a warm bed, actively participates in Alcohol and Narcotics Anonymous, and is involved in his church. Christopher is also active in his daughter’s life and visits her on a regular basis. Christopher expressed that he is grateful for the ability to provide diapers, formula, and clothes for his daughter and states that he can’t wait until his daughter starts walking because he’s “going to buy her the best shoes.”
“I just want to take the time to thank everyone who has helped me during my period of homelessness. First and foremost, God. I would also like to thank you (Aiza Evans) and everyone at Park Center, Heather and Stacy with Loaves and Fishes, Jeff Swafford with Nashville Street Project, Dave with Ken and Carol’s, and the Crisis Unit from Mental Health Cooperative.”
Christopher
July 19, 2022
By Aiza Evans, Homeless Outreach Team Lead
Last year, I supported a Park Center member named Christopher who was experiencing homelessness. In December 2021, Christopher was experiencing suicidal ideation and he called me pleading for help. I called Mental Health Cooperative’s Crisis Intervention Team and he was taken to a crisis unit where he received treatment for three days. On his last day of treatment, he received great news and learned he was accepted into a sober housing program. A co-worker and I arranged transportation to get him from the crisis unit to his new home.
This past June, I visited Christopher at his workplace to see how he was doing and I almost didn’t recognize him; he looked healthier and happier and so full of life! He shared with me that he had been reflecting on his moments of homelessness just earlier that day, before I even reached out to meet with him. Christopher mentioned that he still can’t believe that being homeless was part of his life journey. Experiencing homelessness was a real struggle for him and it took a toll on his physical and mental health. “I didn’t have a problem finding anywhere to sleep, I was always standing on my bed. The biggest hardship was finding food,” Christopher shared. He reminisced about the times he slept under the bridge, in a porta potty, or on the front steps of a church. He faced many challenges like constantly having his belongings stolen, lack of shelter from severe storms, and dealing with his mental health. Christopher shared that, “Being homeless was exhausting. My body would be so tired, but my mind kept going, and it was always negative thoughts. They just wouldn’t stop.” Christopher learned that he had to “Let go and let God.”
I asked Christopher if he had advice for anyone who is currently experiencing homelessness and he said, “Reach out for help, immediately. There’s a lot of mental anguish that happens when you’re homeless. Let go of the pride and the denial and admit that you’re needing help. Be straight and upfront with what you’re needing and don’t dwell on the past. You can’t move on if you’re constantly beating yourself up with ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’. It’s not the end, it’s only the beginning and you have to trust the process because God will prevail.”
Christopher knows how hard it is to ask for help and stated that he was afraid, embarrassed, ashamed, prideful and in denial. He knows how it feels when you can’t take care of yourself or your kids. He said “you lose your sense of purpose.” He encourages anybody who is experiencing homelessness to talk to someone who has been where they are - someone who has lived through that experience and has overcome homelessness and to try to stay encouraged through it all.
Christopher has been thriving lately. He just graduated from a 6-month recovery program and earned his 6-month sobriety chip. He is staying busy, working two jobs at Goodwill and Bargain Hunt. He has access to hot meals, sleeps in a warm bed, actively participates in Alcohol and Narcotics Anonymous, and is involved in his church. Christopher is also active in his daughter’s life and visits her on a regular basis. Christopher expressed that he is grateful for the ability to provide diapers, formula, and clothes for his daughter and states that he can’t wait until his daughter starts walking because he’s “going to buy her the best shoes.”
“I just want to take the time to thank everyone who has helped me during my period of homelessness. First and foremost, God. I would also like to thank you (Aiza Evans) and everyone at Park Center, Heather and Stacy with Loaves and Fishes, Jeff Swafford with Nashville Street Project, Dave with Ken and Carol’s, and the Crisis Unit from Mental Health Cooperative.”
