Originally from Tennessee, Will 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 to…
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, 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 about…
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 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 a…
Kens, 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 around…
Venice, a trainee in Pine Street’s food services job training program, loves to cook. She came to Boston in 2021 looking for a better life. When she arrived, Venice stayed with a friend as she looked for work. While searching for a job, Venice’s living situation changed and she found herself on the streets. “Someone…
Ngoc, 65, fled 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 in Vietnam,” says…
Luz, 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 says….
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…
David grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. He began experimenting with drugs at a young age, and over the years, he developed a substance use disorder. “Getting high was the only life I knew,” David says. When he was just 18 years old, David was incarcerated for drug-related offenses. After six years, he was released…
