“I come from a family of veterans, but it’s my brother’s journey that truly lit the fire in my soul. He served eight years in the Army. He was willing to sacrifice everything for what he believed in. But when he got out, he was … Continue readingShe has big heart for homeless vets
“As a social worker, opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives are limitless. “I got my feet wet in an internship with Your New Beginning. It’s for people with court-ordered counseling for drug offenses or domestic violence offenses. I challenged myself by working with … Continue readingSocial worker is a ‘blank slate’ for clients
“We’ve been homeless, and we’ve gone without. There were so many times that our food budget for every two weeks was $50. So we know what it’s like. We’ve always helped people through outreach, but we knew we could do more. We just didn’t know … Continue readingBaytown Pay It Forward Diner feeds the hungry
When I met Joshua Johnson six years ago, it was outside a Baytown motel. He was staying there temporarily. He said at the time, “I was living at an RV park. Me and my friend were staying there. He lit a cigarette and threw it … Continue readingIt feels ‘great’ to be off the streets
“When you’re on the street by yourself, it feels pretty worthless. I don’t want to be here. It gets very lonely. I’ve been very depressed. I cry myself to sleep every night. I just wish I could find somebody to love me as much as … Continue readingBeing homeless ‘feels pretty worthless’
“If it was not for what I’d gone through, then I couldn’t do what I do now. I’m what’s called a mental health and addiction recovery peer support specialist. Simply by the word peer, it means that I’ve been there, done that. I realized that … Continue readingNow she helps others with their addictions
“The first time I started coming to this church, I just let a few little things get to me, and I fell right back into the old me. I was having a hard time reading the Bible. I didn’t really even know how to pray … Continue readingChurch helps on way to turning life around
“After all I’ve been through, I’m fortunate to be here alive today. I’ve had heart surgery. I’ve been shot multiple times. I’ve lost close friends. It got to the point where I didn’t care about life anymore. I was done. I turned to drugs, alcohol … Continue reading‘I should be gone, but I’m still here’
“I grew up with messed-up feet. They were real club-footed, like turned in. To help fix them, I had to wear these casts that went all the way up my legs. When I was 8, they cut them down to below my knees. I also … Continue readingAfter friend’s death, ‘I just let go of the wheel’
“On my way to work, I would see homeless people every day. Especially during the winter months, I would see them living in cardboard boxes under bridges and sometimes on sidewalks. I’ve bought food for a homeless person, and the gratitude of, ‘Thank you, thank … Continue readingShe’s filling a need by helping the homeless