The Story of Eddie

While enjoying a meal of pulled pork sandwiches, mac and cheese, and collard greens, I talked with Eddie about his childhood. He and his 13 siblings grew up in poverty, often without a stable place to live. Eddie was the oldest in his family and was frequently the father figure for his siblings. As he grew into adulthood, he fell into homelessness due to unfortunate events in his life and through substance abuse. His mom readily encouraged him to go to Bright Bridge and to use their resources to find a path out, but he didn’t want to admit to being homeless. After several years, his mom was diagnosed with dementia. Eddie, recently placed on probation, realized that he had to get his life together to support his family. One day, his friend brought him food from Bright Bridge, which reminded him of the request his mom had made years before. He went to the foundation and finally asked for the help he needed. Eddie now has a stable job at Home Depot and is keeping up with and supporting his 13 siblings. Eddie has a goal to write a book of his own, which I am very excited to read one day. His story and his ability to turn his life around from the deepest, darkest depths inspire me. Eddie is a remarkable human and a prime example of how to persevere, no matter how hard life becomes.