Richard — Embracing a Second Chance

As a high school ice hockey standout, Richard planned to attend college at the University of Vermont to play hockey. Richard’s plans changed during his senior year of high school when he suffered both a back injury and a traumatic brain injury during a game, putting an end to his dream.

Richard’s doctor prescribed an opioid medication to manage the pain. “At 19, I had no idea how dangerous and addictive these medications were,” says Richard. “The doctor hadn’t prepared me for the severe withdrawal I had when my prescription ended.”

He resorted to getting the medication on the street. “I had started working and was gaining skills in carpentry, and I learned to compartmentalize my substance use. Over the next 20 years, I worked steadily, but I was one person on the job and a different person at home.”

During this period, Richard became involved in an abusive relationship that destroyed his self-esteem. “My partner was emotionally and physically abusive,” Richard says. “One day, I packed my bags and left. I had no place to go and lived out of my car. I continued to work, but my substance use increased to cope with my feelings and stress. I never thought this would happen to me.”

Tired of living out of his car, Richard came to Pine Street Inn. “Staying at the Men’s Inn shelter made me realize that homelessness can happen to anybody,” Richard says. “It was a dark time, but now there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“I recently moved into an apartment in a brand-new building in Jamaica Plain, and I’m working on my recovery with the help of my case manager. Living in my own home again has been an adjustment, but I’m so happy to have a secure, safe — and beautiful — place to live. I am so appreciative of this second chance.”