VENDOR PROFILE MY HOMELESSNESS STORY BY CHARLES SPRING LAST NOVEMBER, I DECIDED TO TAKE A HUGE RISK and move somewhere far away from any family or friends to start a new life, live on my own, and have my independence and freedom. I had never been on my own. I mean, I had my own place in Houma, La. for about eight years, but, I was not truly on my own, because I lived on my father’s land — first in a trailer house, and then in a shed/barn that I bought. I was in the process of turning it into a one-bedroom apartment, but I was going through some mental health issues at the time. I was paranoid that my father, and even my neighbors, were drugging me! My body was going through a bunch of physical problems, and I thought it was from people drugging me. I now know that it was probably my pre-diabetes acting up, but I wanted a fresh start, where no one knew, or thought they knew, anything about me. I wanted to be in a place with cooler weather. I always hated the hot humid weather of south Louisiana. I love the food and the culture, but the always hot, or I should say, “Always Summer” weather just killed me. So, I decided on Colorado. I looked up a bunch of places there but ended up choosing Denver. I did not realize that Denver is one of the most expensive places in the U.S. While searching online, I found a place that I could afford, so I applied for it. On December 3, I got on a plane and made my way out here, starting what has been a bold and scary journey. You could say I was always like the father duck in that kid’s movie “Migration.” (LOL, I’ve always used movies as a way to explain my life.) The first thing I did was go to the apartment complex to get my new apartment. I got there, and that’s when I found out I was going to be put on a waiting list. I didn’t know that there would be a waiting list that I would have to get on! I actually thought I would have the place when I got there. Boy was I ever wrong! So, I ended up getting a hotel room and staying there until I ran out of money. Then, I had to find a shelter to go to. I’d never been homeless before, well at least not as an adult. When I was 9 or 10 years old, my mother finally divorced my father, after a long time of abuse, and took my four older sisters and me to live in Texas with her family. When we got to Texas, we stayed with her mother, an uncle, and his wife for a while. Then, we moved into a few different Section 8 housing projects. After that, my mother, my sister Clara, and me ended up in a family homeless shelter for about a week or so. So, Denver was really a new experience for me — a harsh, harsh reality. The first place I went is what you might call a transitional or temporary shelter. After staying at the shelter on Holly Street, I was placed at the Denver Rescue Mission’s 48th Avenue shelter. When I first got there it wasn’t that bad, but it was not what I expected. I pretty much kept to myself and didn’t talk to many people, but then I met an amazing and extremely kindhearted woman, my caseworker. At first, I thought of her as a friend, but soon, I considered having a relationship outside of the shelter. I thought she was flirting with me at one point. (As I found out, I shouldn’t have done that, it was a mistake.) After a while, my situation got bad, and that’s putting it lightly. My mental health issues started up again; my anxiety and paranoia came back. It might have been due to being under stress — really, I have no clue. I ended up leaving because I broke one of the rules there. I returned to the Holly Street shelter for one night and then, I went to another “temporary” shelter for about three nights until I was able to get into the Bridge Transitional Program, at the Denver Rescue Mission. In January, I got a call from the apartment complex from when I had filled out the application when I was still in Louisiana, telling me that I was approved and put on the waiting list, but it would take about a year. I will remain at The Crossing until I get into my apartment. So far it’s been okay, but I have had some issues. My mental health issues “flared up” again to the point where I had to check myself into a mental health facility to get some help. I was having some anxiety and was even experiencing some homicidal rage at times. The first time I felt this rage was when I was still in Louisiana, I wanted to kill my father. I had that issue almost every day for a long time. That was one of the reasons I wanted to start over. I had that issue again while I was at the 48th Avenue shelter and have had that issue only a couple of times here at The Crossing. Even with all that going on, I’m still having a great time here in Denver. So, to make my story short, my homelessness has been a great learning experience for me, and I just wanted to let everyone know I appreciate the help and hospitality I’ve received here. Thank you, Denver! I also just want to say thank you to all the people at the Denver VOICE, I really appreciate the job and the opportunity ya’ll gave me! ■ HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. 1 4 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductible. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 3 VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. 5 SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. @denverVOICE 2 ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. August 2024 DENVER VOICE 3
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