Rudy came to Austin Street depressed and grieving the loss of multiple family members. Rudy’s parents died when he was 14 years old, afterwards he helped hold the family together and raised his siblings. Within one year he lost two of his sibling that he had raised as his children. “After they died I just gave up,” said Rudy. His finances and mental stability began to spiral. “I even attempted suicide.” Rudy was homeless for a year in Houston before he came to Dallas. “Houston just held too many bad memories for me. I had to leave.” After arriving in Dallas, he stayed with friends for a while before he ended up on the street. Rudy also suffered a substance abuse relapse. After being sober for 18 years, his resolve waned after the death of his siblings.
Rudy eventually found Austin Street by researching homeless shelters on the internet. While at Austin Street, our spiritual support and mental health services helped him heal, while his case manager worked with him to find the resources he needed to obtain permanent housing. Within a week of arriving, he was already working with a case manager to replace his social security card and get a copy of his birth certificate. Austin Street provided Rudy a safe refuge while he worked through his depression and maintained sobriety.
After ten months in the shelter, Rudy moved into his very own home.
