According to SAMHSA, about 30% of the homeless population have a chronic mental illness. This means that roughly 3 out of 10 homeless people potentially have a chronic mental illness. Unfortunately, there are not many programs to help these people. Chances are pretty high that you have seen some of these mentally ill homeless people wandering the streets in your area. You may be scared to come close to them, so you keep your distance, right? My heart breaks for them because I know that these people literally have no one who cares for them in their lives. As some of you may already know, I have been homeless many times in my life since I was 19 years old. It is because of this fact that I have pretty thick skin. Once you have been homeless as many times as I have, nothing else really bothers you. You may be wondering what my experience was like being homeless while experiencing a mental illness, right? You also may be wondering why I have been homeless so many times too. In this blog, I shall discuss some of my homeless experiences, but then I will close the blog by giving some thoughtful advice for anyone who may or will be in the same predicament. I will say that not all of my experiences have been bad. As a matter of fact, some of the godliest people I have ever met have been in homeless shelters. I really enjoyed talking with these people and doing Bible studies with them too. However, I would never trade my life now for an experience in a homeless shelter. But, I digress. While I have been homeless many times in my life, I will only focus on three shelters that I have been in and one instance where I had to sleep outside. The reason why I am choosing to do this is because if I write about all of my experience it would fill an entire book instead of a blog. I would like to say that if you are in a homeless shelter while dealing with mental illness currently, it is not the end of the world. You will get through this like I have. And the Lord will use this experience for your good (Romans 8:28). Anyways, now it is time for me to discuss my experiences.
The Place
The very first homeless shelter I've been in was called The Place and it is a shelter for teens in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was 19 years old. This was shortly after my conversion to the faith, so I was pretty immature. What caused me to become homeless was that I was evicted from my apartment in Canon City, Colorado due to lack of payment on my rent. Since I was still technically considered a "ward of the state", my judge determined that I should return to Colorado Springs and be put in this homeless shelter until I could have a hearing where they would declare me a free adult. Upon arrival at The Place, I was literally terrified because I did not know what to expect. I thought that I would be around a lot of thugs and criminals who were dangerous and that my life would be in danger. As a result of this, I decided to constantly be watching my back in case anyone tried anything. However, it turned out that I was completely wrong. The shelter ended up not being so bad after all. Sure, we all had to sleep in one large room and we all shared bunk beds too. Also, during the daytime, we had to leave and be back by 5 p.m. for dinner. I remember meeting some decent people in there who started calling me Asian Dave because there was another David in the shelter. There were video games for us to play in the evening time as well as movies. Also, the food that was served there was pretty good as well. Needless to say, my stay in this shelter was not so bad. I remember there was only one altercation I sort of got into with someone. We did not fight, but I remember he used to always pick on me because he could tell I was mentally ill even though I never told him. One day in the middle of our morning group, he was talking mess to me and I began to feel very overwhelmed with emotion. As a result, I began yelling and screaming at him at the top of my lungs and then I broke down crying in front of everyone. He realized he messed up and apologized to me saying he was only kidding. He never talked trash to me again after that. I did miss the people I met in Canon City, especially the girl was dating at the time. So, as soon as my judge declared me a free adult, I found my way back to the small prison town.
Loaves N' Fishes
The second homeless shelter I was in was called Loaves N' Fishes in Canon City, Colorado. This shelter was significantly smaller than most shelters but that was because Canon City is a small town. I was 21 years old at this time. I remember when I first came to this shelter, I was not scared this time because I already sort of knew what to expect. I knew it would be a little different than The Place because it was not for teenagers. However, it did share some similarities. For example, we still had to leave during the day and return by 5 p.m. for dinner. The food there was also pretty good and I got along with everyone for the most part, except for one older gentleman. He used to talk trash to me every day, but I would not allow him to get me down. However, there was one night when I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't because I kept hearing him in a coughing spasm. Immediately, I remembered how the Bible tells us to give a drink of water to our enemy when he is thirsty (Romans 12:20). So, I decided to get up to bring him a cup of water. I admit that my motives were entirely selfish because I just wanted him to be quiet so that I could sleep. However, the next morning he told everyone how I saved his life, and from then on he was a whole lot nicer to me. I did end up getting a job while I was in this shelter as the sign waver for Little Caesars. This job was perfect for me because it allowed me to make up my own schedule. Unfortunately, I did not come in very often because I had an intense fear that certain people in the shelter would talk about me behind my back. As a result, I chose to hang out with them so that if they did talk about me I would know it what they were saying. I know that this sounds completely irrational, but it is how I thought back then.
Living On The Streets
This next incident was probably the worst time in my life. I say this because I was actually homeless on the streets. The reason why I was homeless this time was because I got a "job" working for Scentura Creations, a cologne and perfume company. Basically, what they had me do was walk around Colorado Springs peddling cheap bottles of cologne and perfume to random people. I understand now that I was being scammed, but at the time I believed that it was a decent job. I met some great people whom I was working with too. Needless to say, I could not pay my rent and so I ended up being evicted yet again. This time I did not want to go to the shelter because I felt like I could not do my work while being in the shelter. As a result of this, I spend my days in the street just trying to sell my bottles. What softened the harshness of this time was the fact that one of my coworkers got kicked out of his father's home for similar reasons so we decided to hang out with one another. This made my homelessness feel like it was not so bad. We would sell bottles together and then at night we would squat inside an empty apartment beneath his girlfriend's apartment. However, I did not like this arrangement at all, so I decided to look for another place for us to crash. I ended up finding a used car lot where all the cars were unlocked. As a result, I ended up sleeping in one of these cars each night and then I would leave early in the morning. Thankfully, I was never caught.
RJ Montgomery-- Salvation Army
This was my final stay inside a homeless shelter. The reason I ended up homeless this time was because I found out my mother was homeless in Barstow, California. So, I decided to give up the rooming house I was in to go search for her and bring her back to Colorado. As the Lord would have it, I found her within two hours of arriving in Barstow via Greyhound. Then, I got us both tickets back to Colorado. However, we did not have any place to live, so after using up our welcome in certain friend's places, we decided to go to the shelter. This shelter was not so bad either. It was a lot larger than the first two shelters I previously discussed. And it was a little bit more dangerous, but I was not scared though. I never felt like my life was threatened. I remember the caseworker gave me and my mom permission to remain in the shelter during the day since my mother had bad feet. This was a nice setup because for once I did not have to leave during the day. Unfortunately, I also remember how many of the residents in the shelter would take advantage of my inability to say no by constantly asking me for cigarettes. As a result, I would run out of cigarettes quite frequently. This was also the time when the Secret Service came to visit me because of a video I put out threatening President Trump. I remember this day like it was yesterday because of how scared I was. I was more afraid that if they took me away then my mom would be alone in the streets of Colorado Springs. Fortunately, the Secret Service members just told me to make sure I remained on my medication because if they had to see me again, they would come with handcuffs. After they left, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
As you can see from my experience, my life has been like a roller coaster because of my mental illness. My experiences are not unique to me, however. Many people like me can say they have had similar experiences. This is why for this next section I would like to give some words of encouragement and advice to anyone who has been or will be in my shoes.
You Are Not Alone
I say this because when I was first homeless, I felt like I was completely alone in my predicament. This is a lie from satan. No matter how long you have been or will be homeless, you are not alone. There are plenty of people who will experience homelessness or who have experienced homelessness. I recommend that you find a mental health support group in your area so that you will not feel like you are by yourself. Support groups are vital for those of us who experience mental illness because we can see that other people truly understand our predicament.
Find A Mental Health Clinic
If you are not already enrolled in a mental health clinic, I recommend that you get enrolled in one immediately. Mental health clinics are useful because they will set you up with a psychiatrist who will make sure you can get your medication. These clinics will also set you up with a case manager. too. The case manager can and will help you with things such as getting on Social Security, food stamps, TANF, and other necessary programs. They can also take you to food pantries too. Also, if you need it they can find you a mental health group home to move into. Trust me when I say this, mental health clinics can be a literal lifesaver when you are homeless.
Hold Onto Your Hope In Christ
I understand that when you are in this predicament it can be easy to lose faith in God. I felt like this many times myself. It feels like God does not care about you nor can He do anything about your situation. However, the Sovereign Lord sees all and He does care. As I stated earlier, Romans 8:28 promises us that He is working out all things for our good. This means that your homelessness is not without a purpose. He is in complete control over every single molecule in creation. You can trust The Lord in your predicament. As Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths"
No matter what you are experiencing, God is good and God is faithful to His people. We can trust Him completely to turn something ugly into something extraordinarily beautiful.
I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you found this edifying to you. I am fully aware that being homeless while being mentally ill is tough, but God is good. Keep this in mind and close to your heart always. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
The Place
The very first homeless shelter I've been in was called The Place and it is a shelter for teens in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was 19 years old. This was shortly after my conversion to the faith, so I was pretty immature. What caused me to become homeless was that I was evicted from my apartment in Canon City, Colorado due to lack of payment on my rent. Since I was still technically considered a "ward of the state", my judge determined that I should return to Colorado Springs and be put in this homeless shelter until I could have a hearing where they would declare me a free adult. Upon arrival at The Place, I was literally terrified because I did not know what to expect. I thought that I would be around a lot of thugs and criminals who were dangerous and that my life would be in danger. As a result of this, I decided to constantly be watching my back in case anyone tried anything. However, it turned out that I was completely wrong. The shelter ended up not being so bad after all. Sure, we all had to sleep in one large room and we all shared bunk beds too. Also, during the daytime, we had to leave and be back by 5 p.m. for dinner. I remember meeting some decent people in there who started calling me Asian Dave because there was another David in the shelter. There were video games for us to play in the evening time as well as movies. Also, the food that was served there was pretty good as well. Needless to say, my stay in this shelter was not so bad. I remember there was only one altercation I sort of got into with someone. We did not fight, but I remember he used to always pick on me because he could tell I was mentally ill even though I never told him. One day in the middle of our morning group, he was talking mess to me and I began to feel very overwhelmed with emotion. As a result, I began yelling and screaming at him at the top of my lungs and then I broke down crying in front of everyone. He realized he messed up and apologized to me saying he was only kidding. He never talked trash to me again after that. I did miss the people I met in Canon City, especially the girl was dating at the time. So, as soon as my judge declared me a free adult, I found my way back to the small prison town.
Loaves N' Fishes
The second homeless shelter I was in was called Loaves N' Fishes in Canon City, Colorado. This shelter was significantly smaller than most shelters but that was because Canon City is a small town. I was 21 years old at this time. I remember when I first came to this shelter, I was not scared this time because I already sort of knew what to expect. I knew it would be a little different than The Place because it was not for teenagers. However, it did share some similarities. For example, we still had to leave during the day and return by 5 p.m. for dinner. The food there was also pretty good and I got along with everyone for the most part, except for one older gentleman. He used to talk trash to me every day, but I would not allow him to get me down. However, there was one night when I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't because I kept hearing him in a coughing spasm. Immediately, I remembered how the Bible tells us to give a drink of water to our enemy when he is thirsty (Romans 12:20). So, I decided to get up to bring him a cup of water. I admit that my motives were entirely selfish because I just wanted him to be quiet so that I could sleep. However, the next morning he told everyone how I saved his life, and from then on he was a whole lot nicer to me. I did end up getting a job while I was in this shelter as the sign waver for Little Caesars. This job was perfect for me because it allowed me to make up my own schedule. Unfortunately, I did not come in very often because I had an intense fear that certain people in the shelter would talk about me behind my back. As a result, I chose to hang out with them so that if they did talk about me I would know it what they were saying. I know that this sounds completely irrational, but it is how I thought back then.
Living On The Streets
This next incident was probably the worst time in my life. I say this because I was actually homeless on the streets. The reason why I was homeless this time was because I got a "job" working for Scentura Creations, a cologne and perfume company. Basically, what they had me do was walk around Colorado Springs peddling cheap bottles of cologne and perfume to random people. I understand now that I was being scammed, but at the time I believed that it was a decent job. I met some great people whom I was working with too. Needless to say, I could not pay my rent and so I ended up being evicted yet again. This time I did not want to go to the shelter because I felt like I could not do my work while being in the shelter. As a result of this, I spend my days in the street just trying to sell my bottles. What softened the harshness of this time was the fact that one of my coworkers got kicked out of his father's home for similar reasons so we decided to hang out with one another. This made my homelessness feel like it was not so bad. We would sell bottles together and then at night we would squat inside an empty apartment beneath his girlfriend's apartment. However, I did not like this arrangement at all, so I decided to look for another place for us to crash. I ended up finding a used car lot where all the cars were unlocked. As a result, I ended up sleeping in one of these cars each night and then I would leave early in the morning. Thankfully, I was never caught.
RJ Montgomery-- Salvation Army
This was my final stay inside a homeless shelter. The reason I ended up homeless this time was because I found out my mother was homeless in Barstow, California. So, I decided to give up the rooming house I was in to go search for her and bring her back to Colorado. As the Lord would have it, I found her within two hours of arriving in Barstow via Greyhound. Then, I got us both tickets back to Colorado. However, we did not have any place to live, so after using up our welcome in certain friend's places, we decided to go to the shelter. This shelter was not so bad either. It was a lot larger than the first two shelters I previously discussed. And it was a little bit more dangerous, but I was not scared though. I never felt like my life was threatened. I remember the caseworker gave me and my mom permission to remain in the shelter during the day since my mother had bad feet. This was a nice setup because for once I did not have to leave during the day. Unfortunately, I also remember how many of the residents in the shelter would take advantage of my inability to say no by constantly asking me for cigarettes. As a result, I would run out of cigarettes quite frequently. This was also the time when the Secret Service came to visit me because of a video I put out threatening President Trump. I remember this day like it was yesterday because of how scared I was. I was more afraid that if they took me away then my mom would be alone in the streets of Colorado Springs. Fortunately, the Secret Service members just told me to make sure I remained on my medication because if they had to see me again, they would come with handcuffs. After they left, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
As you can see from my experience, my life has been like a roller coaster because of my mental illness. My experiences are not unique to me, however. Many people like me can say they have had similar experiences. This is why for this next section I would like to give some words of encouragement and advice to anyone who has been or will be in my shoes.
You Are Not Alone
I say this because when I was first homeless, I felt like I was completely alone in my predicament. This is a lie from satan. No matter how long you have been or will be homeless, you are not alone. There are plenty of people who will experience homelessness or who have experienced homelessness. I recommend that you find a mental health support group in your area so that you will not feel like you are by yourself. Support groups are vital for those of us who experience mental illness because we can see that other people truly understand our predicament.
Find A Mental Health Clinic
If you are not already enrolled in a mental health clinic, I recommend that you get enrolled in one immediately. Mental health clinics are useful because they will set you up with a psychiatrist who will make sure you can get your medication. These clinics will also set you up with a case manager. too. The case manager can and will help you with things such as getting on Social Security, food stamps, TANF, and other necessary programs. They can also take you to food pantries too. Also, if you need it they can find you a mental health group home to move into. Trust me when I say this, mental health clinics can be a literal lifesaver when you are homeless.
Hold Onto Your Hope In Christ
I understand that when you are in this predicament it can be easy to lose faith in God. I felt like this many times myself. It feels like God does not care about you nor can He do anything about your situation. However, the Sovereign Lord sees all and He does care. As I stated earlier, Romans 8:28 promises us that He is working out all things for our good. This means that your homelessness is not without a purpose. He is in complete control over every single molecule in creation. You can trust The Lord in your predicament. As Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths"
No matter what you are experiencing, God is good and God is faithful to His people. We can trust Him completely to turn something ugly into something extraordinarily beautiful.
I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you found this edifying to you. I am fully aware that being homeless while being mentally ill is tough, but God is good. Keep this in mind and close to your heart always. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
No comments:
Post a Comment