There’s always more to the story.
As a survivor of child sex abuse, Bill Smith’s dreams died at a young age.
“Those of us who have come out of homelessness have a responsibility to say to the housed folks that we are people first and foremost,” Smith said. “Some of us have mental issues, some of us are down on our luck, some of us have addiction issues, some of us have all the above, but at the end of the day, we’re people just like you are. And believe it or not, we have dreams and desires just like you do.”
Smith was sent into the foster care system at six months old—his mother was schizophrenic and his father an alcoholic—and was adopted at the age of 5.
The happy feelings that come with adoption didn’t last long. A family member who was also a church worker abused him from 7- to 9-years-old.
“My adoptive parents had no idea,” added Smith, now 64 years old. “He told me to be quiet, and I was for 21 years. I kept quiet because of the shame that goes along with that. As a kid, I knew things that a kid shouldn’t know. Back then, it was hush-hush, and you didn’t say anything about it.”
Amidst the aftermath, Smith dealt with a lot of anger. It led to academic challenges and school fights. He enrolled in college for two years, but dropped out and moved back home to Bowling Green.
On the promise of a job, Smith moved to Lexington in 1984. It fell through and he became homeless on and off for the next four decades. At times, he received permanent supportive housing, but would lose it shortly thereafter. Smith dealt with PTSD, depression, and was an alcoholic. He tried to find work when he could, but it’s not easy working and carrying around that kind of trauma.
“I lost count of how many homeless shelters I stayed in,” he said.
Smith lived in several states before moving to Louisville last April because of health complications. He secured a bed at St. Vincent de Paul Louisville’s Ozanam Inn Men’s Emergency Shelter and stayed there for more than half a year.
“It was the first shelter I stayed at that didn’t have a curfew,” Smith said. “St. Vincent de Paul tries to meet everyone where they’re at … if you keep your nose clean and do what you’re supposed to do at Ozanam Inn, you can succeed.”
During his stay, Smith ate at the Open Hand Kitchen, received case management services, and attended one-on-one counseling in our Mental Health and Substance Use Program (MHSU).
“In using all the available services offered, and with an abundance of self-motivation and follow-up on his end, Bill has changed his life,” said Matt Weaver, SVDP’s Associate Director of Clinical Services.”
On Jan. 28, Smith moved into a one-bedroom apartment. It’s the little things.
“Just being able to walk in your pajamas and not having to get dressed if you don’t want to, making yourself a pot of coffee, fixing yourself something to eat when you want to, and you can go to bed when you want to,” Smith said.
He also attends group meetings at Stay Clean, which is a clinical treatment and recovery community for people suffering from substance use disorder and codependency. He has been sober for nearly three years.
“In over 45 years of working with organizations and individuals recovering from substance use and abuse, I have seen very few success stories like Bill’s,” said Gene Gilchrest, CEO at Stay Clean.”
In December, Smith won the 2023 Michael T. White Recover Boldly New Leaf Award, which recognizes a client who is in early recovery and recently turned over a new leaf.
“I was speechless,” Smith added. “I was in awe. I couldn’t believe it.”
Smith, who sings in his church’s choir, is also in his first semester at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, studying to be in ministry. He’s taking nine credit hours.
“I think I’m in a different place. I’m sober. I think that has a lot to do with it,” he said.
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