A Veteran’s Story
One early morning 5 years ago, Darren G. awoke to total silence. It was unnerving. Usually he could hear the sounds of traffic in the distance or wind blowing through the trees. He unzipped his tent and thought, “Wow, look at this!” He was buried under 6 inches of snow. This was his first of four years as a homeless person in Morristown. Darren actually found living in the woods fairly easy after his time as a soldier in Iraq. He couldn’t sleep straight through the night in a bed, but he seemed to do all right in a sleeping bag.
Darren had a typical middle class upbringing in East Hanover, New Jersey. He inlisted in the army right after high school. When the first Gulf war began in 1991, Darren reupped. For 8 months he was based in Kuwait. Calling combat “an awakening experience”, Darren is unable to talk much about his time over there. “You live your life not thinking about violence… then to see it firsthand… and to come back here where you’re not supposed to see it or know about it…it’s just hopeless.”
Serving in the military took a heavy toll on Darren. After being discharged he came back to the states with severe mental illness. He was then diagnosed for the first time with major depression and ADHD, though these issues probably started in his early teens. In the years after Iraq his life spiraled downward with drugs and alcohol. After returning home, Darren “used up all his passes” with his father who finally dropped Darren off in Morristown and drove away. When he landed at the Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center, he was hungry, he was alone, and his life was a wreck.
Inside the dining room he found a hot meal and a warm welcome that felt like a family gathering. He became a regular at the Soup Kitchen. He enjoyed the quantity and variety of foods and ate well; soon gaining back the weight he had lost. The homeless often burn many calories walking as their transportation, and they need even more calories in the winter to stay warm outdoors.
Our Community Advocate, Elena Graham gave Darren supplies to cover his immediate needs including a sleeping bag, tent, coat and food. When he was ready to take the next step, she helped him secure temporary housing and apply for Food Stamps and more permanent Section 8 housing, as well as Veterans benefits. After three long years he finally received his veteran’s medical coverage. It took some time, but Darren also got used to sleeping in a bed again. He was particularly thankful not to be sleeping in a tent this past winter when it was especially cold and snowy.
At the Soup Kitchen Darren also met with Rasheedah Riddle, our Substance Abuse Outreach Counselor. Her support and good listening skills were vital to his recovery. With the aid of Charles LaRussa, one of the Soup Kitchen’s Mental Health Association professionals, Darren went to doctor’s appointments and received treatment and medications. Charles also followed up to make sure Darren stayed on his meds. “If I didn’t stay on my meds” Darren said, “I think I would go crazy.” His mental illness is now under control.
Thanks to Elena’s efforts, Darren finally received Section 8 housing. Due to his disability it is difficult for Darren to work, but he is hoping to get a job as a mechanic. It is work he was trained for and enjoyed doing before his life fell apart. In June he will take a class on bio-diesel in Michigan for Honda Motor Co. Transportation is currently a challenge, but he is getting his driver’s license shortly.
Darren returns to the Soup Kitchen about once a month -- not to eat, but to visit the friends he made here. He is well-dressed and clean cut. You would not recognize him today as a person who was once a Soup Kitchen guest. His life is transformed. “Everything is on track to where I was before I went into the army. If it wasn’t for the people here at the Soup Kitchen, I don’t know where I would be. I’ll have a permanent place to live from now on. I do my own cooking- and I’m a good cook! I am ready to start my new life.”
*In order to protect our guest’s privacy it is Soup Kitchen policy not to take photographs in the dining room. Darren graciously allow us to include a “before” photo. This pic was taken just before he got Section 8 housing. |
