Stanley Lever Adams

Stanley stepped into the Harrison House Single Adult Program in June 2006. Two years earlier he had lost his job which forced him to move out of his apartment into a small room and from there into a shelter. “In general, homelessness can be a result of poor life choices or bad twists of fate. For some, like myself, I just needed a moment to regroup from life’s curve balls,” he says. Stanley found that moment and the services he needed at BOSS’s Multi-Agency Service Center (MASC) and Harrison House, and Rubicon Programs.

He secured a “survival” job, and began saving diligently and participating in the Harrison House program. “Stanley was an active member within the community,” Case Manager Monica Randolph said. “He was an asset to the program while attending to his personal growth – ultimately, leaving back on his feet, full of confidence and strength.” One thing that set Stanley apart from other shelter residents – while inspiring them – was when he pulled up in a vintage Porsche 928 he had bought at auction.

Six months earlier Stanley walked into Harrison House with the clothes on his back - he now has a full time position in his original career and rents an apartment in Berkeley. “Others tell me I have accomplished a lot. I feel like I have just started.” Stanley’s life goal is to have long term financial security, find someone to share life’s experiences with, and give back to the community that helped him.

To others who are homeless, Stanley says, “If you never succumb to complacency, but keep striving, you may discover that you have not only achieved your goals but surpassed them.” We are proud to consider Stanley as a BOSS success story. He is the embodiment of perseverance; self-motivation and the courage to keep moving forward even through adversity.

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