Chris’ Story

I came to My Friend’s Place to pick myself back up, to get back on my feet. I remember sometimes they used to let me sleep inside because I was so exhausted from living on the streets. I was able to come here to apply for jobs and feel comfortable.

Most of the trauma that I’ve gone through was because of being homeless.  I’ve been beat in the streets and stuff before. Going through homelessness, one of the things that I’ve struggled with the most is the fact that I kind of shut down a little bit. I closed certain parts of my life out because I was no longer able to endure them. I suffer from depression, but with help from My Friend’s Place, I can say that the depression has been eased a little bit.

The staff here have allowed me to open up and they’ve been able to help me cope. I’ve never really had anyone in my life as supportive as they are.  When I come back and see these people that work here, it kind of feels like a blessing. Now, when I go to sleep at night, I know that if I need a person to rely on the following day, My Friend’s Place will be there.

My caseworker at My Friend’s Place is Kayla. Kayla is someone that I will always want to come back to talk to. She’s really become a role model. Kayla came to my apartment and she said that she was proud of me. And I was like, why is she so proud of me? And I realized that, sometimes, to be able to see that you have food in your refrigerator and stuff like that, that’s a good reason to give yourself a pat on the back.

At My Friend’s Place, I overcame a lot of the trauma that was preventing me from expressing myself and from finally understanding who I am. I had to learn how to really appreciate even the smaller parts of myself. I had to really kind of dig deep inside and try to find value in myself, and My Friend’s Place was a very big help with that. When I walk out of My Friend’s Place now, I feel like I can walk with my head held high.

I appreciate Kayla and everybody that works at My Friend’s Place for being kind enough to offer what they offer to me. They’ve helped me to learn how to be as a person. Nobody dedicates the time to who I am or sets time aside for me as much as My Friend’s Place.

My Friend’s Place has been able to help me get housing. They’ve helped me pay for rent in order to stay in housing. They helped me prepare for a job. They’ve given me so many clothes. These opportunities have allowed me to escape so much trauma that I might have experienced on the street. My Friend’s Place ended up being a bridge back to so much of what was taken away from me. A path for me to finally reach my happiness.