The day he began the final leg of his journey from homelessness to housing, Curtis stood outside the tent he’d called home for so long. He said goodbye to his friend with a quick fist bump before getting inside the Coalition’s outreach van. And he said, with his signature smile, “Blessed. I am feeling BLESSED. I’m not homeless anymore. That’s a blessing.” 

Curtis’s journey has been neither brief nor easy. His warm smile and positive demeanor hide years of struggle and pain. 

A lifetime of slipping through the cracks of the mental health system eventually took its toll. Without proper support or treatment, Curtis began to self-medicate in search of peace. Sadly, instead of finding peace, this search led him down a dark path of addiction, desperation and, eventually, incarceration. 

After serving his time and paying his debt to society, he was released back into the world. He had a second chance, but he also had the same untreated mental health issues and lack of systemic support. So, he found himself right back where he’d started, with no resources in sight to help him climb out. 

By the time the Coalition connected with Curtis, he had been living on the street for close to 20 years. He was used to occasional offers of help from well-meaning citizens, but nothing much ever came from these offers, so our own was met with a dose of skepticism. But our team continued showing up, and soon he trusted their intentions were solid and sincere. 

The Coalition’s outreach team spent time getting to know Curtis, understanding his needs, and implementing a plan to help him succeed.

Once the plan was set into motion and Curtis had a proper treatment plan, two decades of instability came to an end. Once stable, it didn’t take him long to begin accomplishing his goals — goals that had once seemed unreachable. Just as our outreach team continued showing up, Curtis kept showing up and putting in the work. Once he had access to the supportive services he needed to help him help himself, that’s exactly what he did. 

On move-in day, he was bursting with anticipation. After signing his name to his new lease and processing all he was feeling, he walked down the sidewalk to his apartment, the Coalition’s outreach team right alongside him. 

Two weeks later, Curtis opened the door to the team he now refers to as “my angels” and excitedly welcomed them into his tidy and organized new home. He was excited to share his story, with the hope that he can change the lives of people like him. 

“You guys want to see a success story?” he said, “Then you better keep an eye on me because I am going to be one!”