Shawn’s Story
By Wayne Kallen
In 2019 I met a young man named Shawn at SUMS Place which is in the heart of North Surrey on King George Blvd and 108 Ave in Surrey. SUMS Place is a low barrier shelter which prides itself in taking in anyone from the streets or other organizations. You could tell Shawn was out of place when he came through the doors and that life had just thrown him a curve ball which made him become with out a home. Covid was all the rage and bed capacity had to be limited for distancing. At that time, we thought that we were doing Shawn a favour by choosing him to be one of guests that would be chosen to go to a hotel, but little did we know the struggles with mental health and alcoholism that would follow him to the haven we believed we were sending him too. Shawn returned to SUMS Place after Covid was not considered a pandemic anymore, but this time Shawn fit right in as he came through the doors. With a little help and coaching Shawn has now turned over a new leaf whose story he will share with you below.
The year was 2019 and I had just become homeless due to covid 19. Losing my job and any sources of income I had without anywhere else to turn and never having any experience with homelessness, I did the only thing I could and began calling to multiple shelters in the area, finally stumbling upon SUMS in the process, I ended up getting into SUMS that very evening.
A year or so had passed and covid was just beginning to peak, I was then given information about a program from SUMS, through Options, in which I was to be sent to a motel to help with maintaining distances from others, and as good as this sounds, living rent free in a motel for over three years it came with a lot of unexpected and problematic side effects, anxiety and depression, two things I have struggled with for the majority of my life. Being medicated numerous times as a child and into early adulthood, being on my own in a small living area for 3 years caused my depression to amplify, my anxiety to run rampant, and having a deep sense of hopelessness, I began turning to alcohol to control my anxiety. Laying in bed for the majority of time only getting out of it to either, go buy more alcohol or eat, and to be honest the alcohol was the only motivation I had to do anything at that point in my life.
However, the motel was not permanent, and I was to be sent back out into the real world. With this new addiction I was frightened and riddled with anxiety, not knowing where I would be going or how I was going to treat my alcoholism. I just hoped that I would be sent to a shelter where people wouldn’t judge me or ridicule me about my problems, in the end I was shocked to realize that I would be sent back to SUMS, the very shelter I had first stayed at. I knew that this time had to be different, that I had to make a change, I had to help myself for the first time in a long time. As days began to pass, I was living at SUMS, waking up each morning with only one thing on my mind ‘’alcohol’’ I did this to minimize my anxiety.
Eventually I had enough. I hated feeling this way, this constant reliance on something that made me sick. I began to reach out to the staff here at SUMS and explained in detail my situation. My anxiety and my alcoholism were in complete control, and I had had enough. Seeking help, I had been welcomed with open arms by the amazing staff at SUMS. Within days changes began to happen. Knowing that anxiety was the core of most, if not all of my issues I asked to be seen by a professional to get my anxiety under control and within a week it almost had felt as if a miracle had happened.
I was re-medicated, and I had no reason to drink, nor did I crave it. It almost felt like a million tons had been lifted off of me. I continued to seek guidance from the wonderful staff here at SUMS and what I have been able to accomplish in such a short time with their help is unbelievable. No more anxiety. I’m now forklift certified and I’m taking care of medical things that I have been holding off on because of my anxiety. I have also been doing community work for the city and helping SUMS with projects around the shelter. I can only see a fresh new beginning and it’s all thanks to the amazing people here at SUMS.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart ‘’Shawn Trevor Hardy’’
