George — Back in a Community He Loves

George has come full circle. While he lived in Somerville for 40 years, George was born in Jamaica Plain, where he now resides in one of Pine Street’s residences.

George worked hard all of his life as a maintenance person for Somerville Parks and Recreation and later in construction. “I became homeless due to series of hardships — a divorce, the loss of both my mother and father, and a serious illness,” George says. “Years earlier I had a bad construction accident and it all caught up to me. I ended up getting very sick.”

Due to mounting medical bills and the lack of a family support system, George ended up at Pine Street Inn. “I stayed at the Pine Street shelter for over a year,” George says. “While I was staying there, I met a case manager who helped me get into housing. It took a lot of paperwork, but it didn’t take long for me to finally get settled into my new apartment.”

George is glad to be back in a community that he is familiar with. “I was lucky to move in here before COVID hit,” George says. “I like to walk around Jamaica Plain during the day — mostly around Jamaica Pond. The case managers and other tenants in my building are terrific. And another benefit is that I’m close to my son and granddaughter. It’s a nice place to live. I’m feeling great about my future.”