I was homeless for over 20 year period. I stayed at the
Oakland Homeless Project several times where I received peer counseling and
substance abuse counseling and they also helped stabilize my health and I
received help from Oakland Independent Support. One day Vincent carried me from
OIST to the crisis building because I was hemorrhaging and almost died. After a
while I volunteered as an assistant peer counselor and an assistant housing
advocate and assistant substance abuse counselor.
God put BOSS in my life to save my life. They were the only
people I had as my family for many, many, many years. I fell down they picked me
up. I fell down some more and they picked me up again. Over the last 30 years,
I fought in the trenches for homeless rights; In 1983, I participated in Tent
city; a homeless action that spread over 9 states; I
represented the North of
Market Homeless Coalition.
Today, I am founder and Executive Director of God’s Helping
Hand, a non-profit that feeds about 300 homeless people a month. I feed the
homeless out of two shopping carts walking and feeding in People’s Park, the
MASC and along the Berkeley streets.
With a good support system and being grounded in the church
and the good people that God has kept in my life, I am helping others clean
their lives up and help route them to shelters and recovery. To others that are
lost; I say look towards the hills from where your help comes from and believe
that there is a higher power. In order to keep it, you have to give it away.
Mountains aren’t too high, valleys aren’t too low, the rivers aren’t too low, if
you believe it; you can achieve it!
Carolyn
represented the North of
Market Homeless Coalition.
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