23 Dec You had to go through what you went through to get where you are today by Gina Galperson
1985 was my first introduction to Cri-Help, Inc., I was sitting on the wooden slat bench in the lobby by the front door, and I noticed this rock lying on the ground outside the door that read We Care.
I became homeless on August 15, 2016, literally homeless I had lost everything. I remember it was so hot outside in Chatsworth that I use to sneak into people’s apartment buildings at night so that I could jump in their pool and get wet and try to wash. I cried every day to God, pleading, “I don’t belong here, why and how did this happen, oh dear God, help me! Knowing what I had to do, but I still couldn’t do it, that in itself is torture. By the time January came, it was raining profusely, and so I did what most homeless people do on the streets, I slept under some plastic.
“I used to live and live to use” I got to a place where I didn’t care who I had to knock down that got in my way to get all the things that I thought I needed for me and not look back. I was ruthless, and most of all, I hated who I became. Never have I stopped using on my own. I have to be slammed up against the wall with no other options, and that is why I called Cri-Help.
I remember looking in the mirror, and it was as if I saw the eyes of a stranger, and I’ve always known that the mirror never lies.
We hear around the rooms that “you had to go through what you went through to get where you are today.” I believe that statement more than ever today. I KNOW I had to go through what I did, being homeless on the streets, because I have a newfound faith and hope for life. I am filled with gratitude every day. My foot stopped tapping, and my feet are planted on the ground in the present. I appreciate every moment. I honestly believe that being homeless changed me forever as I make an effort at being a giver, not a taker, a giver of my time, my ear, my shoulder, whatever it is. I no longer have to knock down people to get what I want. I now believe I have a gift to help others; now, I’ve become sincere and passionate about helping people, which is why I work in this field. The feeling I get from giving is better than any drug I have ever had. Every morning I say thank you to God. My new mantra is, “It is hard to get loaded when you are in gratitude.” Thank you for giving me my life back.