Homeless? You can pick yourself up from the streets

We all see them wandering the streets, the homeless residents of Krugersdorp, and even if you don’t want to, you judge them in some way for being in that situation.

But getting to that place is not always as black and white as we may think.

The News went searching for someone who has been there, but has picked himself up and gotten back on his feet. One such person is Garry (not his real name, as he does not want work associates to know his past).

About a year ago, Garry lost his business. He admitted that bad business decisions were made, but also said that everything happened so fast. Before he could find himself, he, his wife and their two children had nowhere to go and were living on the street.

The family eventually ended up living at the Salvation Army for six months. After six months their time was up and they moved into Grace House, a local homeless shelter, for about two weeks.

One day, Garry was picking his child up from school when he walked past John’s shop. He decided to go in and look around and eventually started a conversation with John.

John asked Garry why his child’s school shoes were in pieces and Garry explained that he did not have the money or the means to buy new school shoes.

The next thing Garry knew, John bought new school shoes for the child, and the two of them became fast friends.

They realised they both had grand ideas for businesses and decided to take the leap and open one together.

Today, John and Garry are business partners and have recently signed a major contract.

Garry and his family have moved out of the shelter and live in their own home again.

Garry said that he wants it to be known that his story had nothing to do with drugs, is was bad business decisions.

“Last year this time, we were living on the streets, but we are a close family and I have a wonderful wife who has stuck by me through better and worse,” Garry said, with a smiling face.

He explained that he had loads of friends, but when he phoned to see if his children could stay with any of them, he was turned away.

He believes that it is only by the grace of God that they made it off the streets.

“God and my faith saved me. You can’t get anything without God,” he said.

With his first paycheck, he bought food for his family, and now he is joining the new team at the Christian Life Saver Foundation, because he wants to help others to get their lives in order so that they can move on.

And what about John? Well, Garry said it is remarkable what a difference one person and one small gesture can make in your life.