“Being involved, caring about the community, is imbedded within me. Volunteering while I was at the shelter gave me the incentive to keep improving my life.”
– Harrison started his journey back to housing as a guest at Roof Above’s North Tryon shelter, where he is now a regular volunteer.
Harrison was an ordained minister when his mother became ill. He spent years as her primary caregiver. When she died, his overwhelming grief led to mental health struggles and substance use. “I spent years in that downward spiral, I was living on the streets and in abandoned houses.” Eventually he came into Roof Above’s North Tryon Shelter, where he participated in Mecklenburg County’s on-site treatment program. “The shelter was my redemption, my way out, my way up,” he says, “I’m grateful to be where I am today.”
Harrison has been in housing for six years through Roof Above’s Scattered Site housing program, which forges partnerships with landlords across the city to provide affordable housing for people coming out of homelessness. He has reconnected with family, bought a car and worked steadily. And he still returns to North Tryon Shelter every week, organizing essential supplies that have been donated, and connecting with guests. “I’m committed to giving service,” Harrison says. “When an individual is reaching out for help, and Roof Above is reaching toward them, then a very positive platform is built.”