Name: Alex
Age: 57
Homeless Status: Newly Homeless
Employment Status: Employed, Full-Time
Hometown: South Bend
Location: Kraz Weather Amnesty Building
Date of Interview: February 16, 2017
Key takeaways:
- The main reasons for homelessness is South Bend he says was financial (lack of jobs, bad economy, etc), alcoholism, and mental health
- Some even come from good neighborhoods like Granger Indiana and the rural areas and not the inner city
- Heroin has had a big impact on the community starting with African Americans then Latin Americans, and then to Whites even children of White Collar
- He got into cocaine while in college at NYU as an art major which lead to his addiction
- Said there is a vicious cycle of going in and out of rehabs
- He left his home, because his wife helped him do whatever he wanted and helped feed his addiction
- ADD and OCD
- Has a network of drug recovery people that he reaches out to daily
Notable Quotations
“Its nice in here, everyone behaves themselves because no one wants to get kicked out.”
“Alcoholism and drug addiction don’t discriminate against finance and economics.”