Shawn — Feeling at Peace

For a long time, Shawn did not know what the next day would bring — bouncing between shelters and the streets. When Pine Street Inn’s outreach team connected with him, he discovered something he had always longed for — a place to call home.

Shawn grew up in Boston and found a job at a meat packaging department in a grocery store, working hard to support his young family. “Things started going downhill after I lost my job,” says Shawn. “My girlfriend kicked me out of our apartment, and I started drinking and using drugs to cope.”

With nowhere to go, Shawn stayed in a shelter, navigating through several programs to help with his substance use disorder. “Eventually, I entered recovery. I even volunteered at that shelter, cutting hair.”

Shawn later spent 17 years working at a carnival constructing and maintaining the rides. However, his living situation remained unstable. “The carnival would provide bunkhouses, and in the off-season, I would stay with friends,” says Shawn. “It didn’t work out, and I ended up on the streets.”

“While living on the streets, the outreach team would check on me every day,” Shawn remembers. “Eventually, Pine Street helped me find housing in one of their buildings in Dorchester.”

Six years later, Shawn remains grateful for his apartment. “It’s a place that’s all mine! I have a roof over my head and a home where I can get my thoughts together,” he says happily. “Now that I’m 57, I finally feel at peace.”