TORRINGTON — The FISH shelter here uses a federal voucher program to aid homeless veterans like John Cruise.
Cruise, a Navy veteran, said he used to drink to self-medicate himself for mental illness. He became an alcoholic.
"I found a friend in alcohol, so to speak," Cruise said Saturday from the homeless shelter where he has lived for the past year. "The problem is when you become dependent on it, you can't function in life and that's pretty much how I ended up here."
Cruise, 42, hit rock bottom for the first time in 2003, when his wife told him goodbye and get out after years of his alcohol abuse. He went through several 30-day treatment programs, a six-month treatment program, and an outpatient program since then as he continues battling his alcoholism.
Cruise, who is from Ashland, doesn't have any family locally, so he slept in his car, in storage units, and in the woods for eight years.
Then he settled in at FISH.
The South Main Street homeless shelter dedicates 10 of its 35 beds for homeless veterans and they can stay for two years, according to Kevin Purcell, FISH executive director. The other homeless residents can stay for only 90 days.
The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program is funded at a per diem rate of $40 per veteran. The money pays for food and a FISH case worker who works exclusively with veterans. The funding also requires outreach on the part of FISH staff who seek out homeless veterans who may need housing.
Purcell said he often spots men carrying camouflage backpacks as he drives in the city. He then pulls over to ask the men if they are veterans and in need of a place to live.
Cruise, who said he has been sober while living at FISH for a year, is one of five veterans taking part in the program now. The 10 beds aren't always full but usually are during winter, Purcell said.
Last year, the case manager who works with veterans placed 15 veterans in housing through the voucher program, Purcell said.
Most of the housing has been in the bigger cities like Waterbury, Hartford, and New Haven, but Cruise is looking for housing in Torrington to be close to his 13-year-old daughter.
Cruise served stateside for two years during the first Gulf War. He was 19 years old when he joined the Navy, following in the footsteps of his father.
In 1991, he was medically and honorably discharged. Only veterans who are honorably discharged are able to participate in the FISH veterans program. FISH allows families to stay at the shelter, which can be important for women veterans. "The newest group of homeless veterans coming to the forefront are homeless female veterans with dependent children," Purcell said.
Cruise said he hopes he's in his own place before his two years end. In the meantime, he's busy volunteering at FISH, stocking the shelves in the food pantry and buffing the floors.
"It's that sense of purpose," Cruise said. "I've gained a lot of trust. I've shown a lot of trustworthiness. It works both ways."
↧