Street roots., May 01, 2015, Page 11, Image 11

Street Roots • May 1-7, 2015
RUNNING, from page 10
options, the legislative process on housing
and how the city council works. It’s a
temporary position, but for Adams, it’s the
first time he’s been offered a job.
Adams has .injuries from an explosion he
experienced in the Navy which led to the
onset of post-traumatic stress disorder. He
was honorably
discharged because of
his psychiatric
clonal b a w a resume« F w
disorders.
s e w kepi a Job. It*s hard to
“I don’t have a
resume. I’ve never kept
get a fob wbea y w *re kerne-
less," O ases said« "F ve worked a job. It’s hard to get a
job when you’re
long and- bard to fin d b o w in g
homeless,” Adams said.
and support^ whlek Is. probably “I’ve worked long and
harder than a regular job since hard to find housing
and support, which is
fen^re try in g to s t r a w en the
probably harder than a
streets«"
regular job since you’re
trying to survive on the
streets.”
Adams has had a
history of mental disorders since childhood.
He went to college to study computer >
science, but he dropped out due to his social
phobia. Shortly after, Adams was accidentally
hit by a car and broke a rib. Unable to work,
he became homeless and was first
introduced to crack cocaine out in the ,
streets.
“That’s when it went downhill,” Adams
recalled. “Mania exasperates your addictions
or even anything you experiment with. I just
couldn’t stop.”
Adams wandered with just the clothes on
his back because he knew he would throw
his belongings if his manic episodes acted
up. Violence surrounded Adams on the
streets. He explained that he has
News
Page 11
experienced having his head split open, his
face cut open twice, his jaw broken twice,
and assault with baseball bats several times.
“All I could do was beg for my life,” Adams
said.
Other times he felt quite differently.
Adams remembers planning to commit
suicide at a hotel on New York Avenue
during one such darker moment
“Sometimes, I would just wait to die every
time I sat outside,” Adams said. “The only
reason I’m alive is because of my mood
swings. And running also gave me another
effect that made me feel good.”
Before his work with Miriam’s Kitchen,
Adams didn’t understand how all his health
and behavioral issues factoredinto his
housing situation.
“Now I know that I’m in permanent
supportive housing. I was considered
chronically homeless. I understand now that
chronic homelessness is when you have
mental illness, substance abuse, or physical
illness. I had aU three,” Adams said.
“Housing first changed my life.”
The housing first model allows no barriers
for attaining housing. Traditional housing
approaches require applicants to prove they
are ready for housing by achieving sobriety
or going through mental health treatment
first, according to Jill Carmichael.
“It’s really difficult to get clean and sober
when you don’t know where you’re going to
sleep that night,” Carmichael said. With the
housing first approach, “we house you first
and then work on everything else.”
There are about 1,600 people that are
considered chronically' hom eless in th e
District, according to Kristy Greenwalt.
Without the housing first method in action,
many of these individuals would remain in
shelters or on the streets, like Adams once
did.
The Vulnerability Index Service
Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool
informs individuals of which housing
intervention will best suit their needs.
Adams hopes that through the work he does
at Miriam’s Kitchen he will one day be able
to help others through the assessment
process. He especially wants to help those
who suffer with mental illnesses and HIV/
AIDS.
“A lot of us get forgotten about. We’re the
people that have it really rough. We’re the
people that can’t survive out there,” Adams
said. “We’re the ones in the psych ward or
being killed in the alleys.”
Adams is training for another upcoming
race in two weeks. He says he’s “still lacing
up [his] shoes” though he is unsure of the
future. Adams is still battling with AIDS.
Occasional infections remind him that he is
not cured. Sometimes he won’t leave the
house because he still struggles with
depression.
“I’m scared. I didn’t even expect to be
living right now,” Adams said. “Pm lucky to
be 54.”
A large part of what keeps Adams going is
the runner’s high he gets after training or
the completion of a marathon. He is part of
“Marathon Maniacs,” a club of runners that
sets out to complete several marathons in a
certain amount of time.
“Sometimes there are people that are
faster than me, but you’re running your own
race,” Adams sad. “A lot of times when
you’re running a race, you’re running for a
personal record-you b e at th e tim e th a t you
had before, and you keep on going.”
For Adams, March 31 will mark his new
personal record-six years of sobriety.
Courtesy o f IN SP News Service
www.street-papers.org/ Street Sense,
Washington D.C.
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