Lucy Tompkins

He said he grew up in a military family, so he was moving around a lot as a kid.

He said he grew up in a military family, so he was moving around a lot as a kid.

He struggled in school. He ended up dropping out and picking up work really young.

He struggled in school. He ended up dropping out and picking up work really young.

Then he married young and had two sons, but he said he was struggling with drinking, and he'd go on what he described as pretty regular benders. And by his late 20s, his marriage was falling apart.

Then he married young and had two sons, but he said he was struggling with drinking, and he'd go on what he described as pretty regular benders. And by his late 20s, his marriage was falling apart.

And he said this is really the destabilizing event for him that starts his experience of homelessness.

And he said this is really the destabilizing event for him that starts his experience of homelessness.

He starts kind of working odd jobs and living a nomadic lifestyle. He works as a trucker. He works in fast food restaurants. Eventually, he ends up sleeping on the streets, and his health gets worse.

He starts kind of working odd jobs and living a nomadic lifestyle. He works as a trucker. He works in fast food restaurants. Eventually, he ends up sleeping on the streets, and his health gets worse.

Yeah. His drinking gets worse, and he is sleeping on a bench and doesn't really see a way out of this for himself.

Yeah. His drinking gets worse, and he is sleeping on a bench and doesn't really see a way out of this for himself.

Yeah. That's when he meets a social worker who introduces him to the folks at Community First and helps him apply to get in there.

Yeah. That's when he meets a social worker who introduces him to the folks at Community First and helps him apply to get in there.

He was still getting settled and adjusting to life there, but he had a job on site that he really liked. He was working as sort of an ambassador for new people who moved into the village. He was paying his rent with money from that, and he was able to host his sons overnight.

He was still getting settled and adjusting to life there, but he had a job on site that he really liked. He was working as sort of an ambassador for new people who moved into the village. He was paying his rent with money from that, and he was able to host his sons overnight.

Which is the first time he'd been able to do that in a decade since he'd become homeless.

Which is the first time he'd been able to do that in a decade since he'd become homeless.

Definitely. Have you used the, like, recovery services at all here?

Definitely. Have you used the, like, recovery services at all here?