“Since coming into the Project Place community, they have made me feel part of a whole with a share in their purpose.”
5 years ago, Lawrence lost his wife of 27 years to cancer. He struggled with depression and addiction and ended up homeless, living in abandoned buildings and bouncing from program to program. Lawrence reflects, “I got to a point where I finally understood what addiction and loneliness really were… I was tired of who I had become. I went on for a time, trying to figure out just how to get back to ‘normal’. I thought about a woman(I had met?) named Azeb who was an outreach worker at Project Place.”
Now, Lawrence is a crew member of Project Place’s Clean Corners Bright Hopes social enterprise. In February, he told his story at the State House to advocate for funding for homeless services. His warm smile and considerate nature brighten the days of everyone he interacts with. Lawrence remarks that “today I can say I am growing daily thanks to Project Place’s support.”