Homeless

By Marco Martinez
I come from a dysfunctional home. I was deeply affected by my parents’ divorce, to the point that I could not concentrate in school. I dropped out of school and ran away from home just before my 16th birthday and hit the streets of California.  I felt miserable, lonely, and misunderstood. I joined a group of teenagers that were lost, like me, and I did everything they did. Drugs, violence, fighting with other street teens, and being with girls became my life. To cut a long story short, I became an outcast in society.

My name is Anita Newton.  I was born in Illinois but moved to Arizona in 1970.  Twenty five years later, I moved to Dallas, Texas and have been here since then.  My parents had three children and I am the only girl and the baby of my family. My parents were both alcoholics.  It was not long before my brothers started using drugs and commenced the journey to many jail houses.  All this shaped my desire to get out of my parents house and be on my own.  I did not have anyone to direct me so I took action by myself.

By Chris Wilson
My name is Chris Wilson. I am currently a resident at the Dallas International Street Church in Dallas. My Story is part of the new poor working class. I have a Bachelors of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Alabama A & M University. I graduated in 1996.

I taught Second Grade and First Grade at a private school in Detroit, Michigan for five years. Everything seemed to be going good until I started using crack cocaine recreationally. At this point I was rest assured that I was in control of the drugs and will stop when I was ready. That was the biggest lie I ever told myself!