Scott E. — “Never Give Up”

Scott, now 68, grew up in a Boston suburb. From a young age, he was eager to be on his own and to move away from his hometown.

Scott joined the U.S. Marine Corps when he was just 17. Following his discharge, he returned to Boston to start a new life. “I was a hard worker,” Scott says. “I worked as a cook and in construction — anything to pay the bills.”

During much of this time, Scott survived without a home of his own. “I would stay with family and friends when I could, and sometimes I would stay on the streets if I had no other option. I survived by keeping to myself and being careful about who I chose to hang out with.”

Over the years, Scott’s health began to deteriorate, and he became unable to work. “I was sleeping outside on a bench near the waterfront when I met the Pine Street outreach team,” Scott says. The team worked for several months to build a relationship with Scott. “One day they came to me and said, ‘How would you like a place to live?’ I took the opportunity to finally have a place to call my own.”

Now in Pine Street housing for 15 years, Scott looks back on that day and still feels joy. “I appreciate my apartment even more now because of my health problems,” Scott says. “I have everything I need, the staff is great, and I’ve made friends in the building.

I’m grateful to Pine Street for everything they have done for me and others. Life is some good, some bad, but you deal with whatever comes your way. Just remember to never give up.”