Faces of The Beacon

Alex

This July will mark three years of sobriety for Alex who overcame his addiction but remained pinned to the criminal justice system until just this year. Alex’s recovery from drugs was clouded with a staggering number of tickets he had accumulated simply by being homeless. All told, he had more than $30,000 in fines that were keeping him from moving forward with his life.

Thankfully, Alex was referred to our Beacon Law program and worked with our Managing Attorney who cleared every one of those tickets, removing his legal barriers and allowing him a fresh start. Alex purchased his own vehicle soon after and most recently passed his level II certification for Nondestructive Testing (NDT), qualifying him as an NDT technician with his employer.

Darryl

Living on the streets for years is hard on the body, the mind and the soul. Darryl remembers cold rainy nights wrapped in a blanket, walking the city blocks to keep warm. During the day, he was able to take refuge at The Beacon and Darryl’s basic needs were met, but he yearned for something more -- the stability of a routine, the safety of a home.

Darryl knew the housing process would be a long one, but he remained patient and hopeful after his first meeting with the housing assessor at The Beacon. The good news came in early November of last year when Darryl was referred to a housing navigator who helped him move into an apartment on the 23rd of that same month. Settled and content, he has started reconnecting with family members and embracing a life filled with hope.

Milton

The pandemic brought many challenges, but it also opened new opportunities for us to listen, learn and grow. Milton visited regularly to use the phone, attempting to track down information and answers regarding his Social Security benefits. The hold times were long, and he was often disconnected after extended periods of waiting. The on-hold messages were directing him to go online, but it can be daunting if one is not used to the routine of using a computer. Thankfully, we were able to repurpose some of our unused space into a computer lab with four desktop stations available for client use. Milton, along with others, now gets help with logging in, saving his password and checking his email. It’s new for all of us, but certainly a silver lining that came out of the pandemic.

Kelly

Since graduating from Brigid’s Hope in 2020, Kelly has completed several certifications and advanced her career in recovery coaching. Today, she is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist with the UT Health / Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) program which provides a pathway for individuals to achieve long term recovery from opioid use disorder. As an overdose survivor who survived because of NARCAN, Kelly brings her lived experience to help guide people in their recovery.

“This is exactly what I need to be doing. I’m right where I want to be,” she shared. Kelly prides herself on helping people escape the nightmare of opioid addiction just like she did.