Michelle grew up in the Midwest and married at a young age. As time went on, her husband began abusing her, and she made the difficult decision to leave. “As the abuse got worse, I knew I had to leave my husband, or I wouldn’t survive,” Michelle says. “I ended up in Boston but had…
A Tennessee native, Will C. worked in the insurance field in Texas for 25 years. Several years ago, he became the victim of financial fraud. “It was someone I had known and trusted for many years,” says Will. “It upended my life and left me broke.” Will had heard that Boston was a good place…
Ricky’s life started in the foster care system. He was adopted as a child and moved to a town outside of Boston where he attended school. “I struggled in school and was diagnosed with a developmental disorder as a child,” says Ricky. As an adult, Ricky moved to an apartment in South Boston, where he…
Originally from Cape Verde, Aldina M., 64, came to the United States in 2002, becoming homeless six years ago, following a prolonged hospitalization. She had lived in her own apartment for many years, but because of her medical bills, Aldina could no longer afford it. “I thought about returning to home, but then I learned…
Roberto grew up in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, where he lived for most of his life. For 35 years, he worked two jobs — in the auto parts industry and in event security, but during the pandemic, these industries shut down. “I was able to survive for a while,” Roberto says. “I gave up my…
Iouri K. immigrated to the United States in the early 1990’s with his wife following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. He came to experience the “American dream” and did. A hard worker, Iouri built a successful moving business in Boston. “My wife and I came to the United States., learned the language, built…
Kens E., a housekeeping job training program graduate, learned about the program from Pine Street’s staff when he first came to the Men’s Inn shelter. “I like working with the instructors and maintenance staff at Pine Street,” Kens says. “It’s a great team, and I’m learning so much. I get hands-on experience doing maintenance work…
Venice, a trainee in Pine Street’s food services job training program, loves to cook. She came to Boston from Jamaica in 2021 looking for a better life. When she arrived, Venice stayed with a friend as she looked for work. “Back home, I was always working,” Venice says. She soon discovered that she needed certain…
Ngoc L., 65, fled his native Vietnam in the mid-1970s as the war was ending. He came to the United States looking for a better life. In the U.S., Ngoc attended high school and found a job. “The idea was to get an education and a good job so I could help my family back…
Luz C., one of Pine Street Inn’s iCater trainees, originally became homeless in 2019. Due to unsafe electrical conditions, she had to leave the Florida apartment that she had been living in with her two young children. “When they kicked me and my kids out of our apartment, I had no place to go,” Luz…
Married at a young age, Reggie’s life changed when he and his wife divorced. He began using substances as a way to cope with the loss — eventually becoming homeless. “The divorce was hard on me,” Reggie says. “We were together for several years, but we drifted apart until the marriage ended.” “I had been…
Starting in early childhood, Charisa experienced challenges in her life. Charisa’s father was not present, and her mother struggled as a single parent. Her aunt and uncle then became her primary caregivers, and Charisa went to live with them. “Over the years, my aunt and uncle developed substance use issues,” Charisa says. “Money was often…