Johnny
Johnny, a member of the Consumer Advisory Board at Care for the Homeless, knows what he’s talking about when he speaks with homeless people in New York City.

“Most homeless people don’t want to be seen or heard,” he says. “They’ve been in the street too long so they don’t believe me that there’s help out there. They don’t believe that I got that help and they can have it too.”

Homeless himself in 2005, Johnny understands what it’s like to be forced to live on the streets.

“It’s scary when you’re out on the street. You don’t know where food will come from or if you will be able to sleep at night. It’s a rough life,” he said. “I started getting help and once I did, I got into an SRO, I got hooked up with peer education training and now, I work with homeless people all over the city.”

Johnny works with all kinds of people but has a special place in his heart for transgender and drug addicted homeless people. When he’s in the city for outreach, he takes with him a bag of sandwiches, some apples, some bottled water and a CFH card to get people in contact with the agency.

“Care for the Homeless is a special place. I’ve learned a lot from staff members and the more I learn, the more I become a better person. This is what I love. I learned how to grow up here.”

See other stories at "Homeless Voices."