Sammie believes Renaissance Apartments saved his life. He had abused narcotics on and off for 50 years. Before seeking treatment from Habilitative Systems Inc., he was homeless for 2 or 3 years. He slept on trains and genuinely thought he was going to die in the streets. "I didn't have anybody except the man upstairs."

Sammie says right now he's learning how to live. "I've been existing all my life and thought I was living. Wasn't doing nothing but hurting people that loved me."

He says he's come a long way since arriving at TRC. He listens more and that's been very helpful to him.

Sammie wishes he had a relationship with his father growing up to teach him, push him, and keep him away from the people his mother had told him to stay away from. He has 6 children of his own and hopes he can repair those relationships.

Sammie currently works for HSI, the same treatment facility that helped him to recover. He's working toward moving into a bigger apartment and believes he has an obligation to help others because he is so grateful that someone helped him.

“I can’t afford to be stagnant here. I come here to do what I got to do and move on because there are other people like I was, homeless with nowhere to go, and they can get my bed. I'm not selfish and I'm not stagnant."