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Dwight Collins

Keys are a symbol of hope

Photo of Dwight CollinsDwight Collins grew up in San Francisco, leaving home at age 17 to pursue a lifetime dream of being a Chaplin in the Marine Corps. He went on to proudly serve our country for eight years. When he returned multiple family tragedies, including being misplaced by Katrina, left him feeling down on his luck.

Dwight describes living on the streets as a daily struggle and a trial of his will to live. He explains, “there’s no place to even use the bathroom, I remember trying to bathe in local gas stations and go unnoticed. My Dad used to always say: keep your pride in your pocket. Well, I say take it out of your pocket and throw it away.  I did the unimaginable. I did what I had to do to survive.”

Eventually, Dwight found himself at SEARCH’s doors.  With the help of SEARCH’s Stabilization team, Dwight finally received the keys to his very own apartment.  He also received rental assistance for the few months needed to get him back on his feet.

“Now that I have my own place, I can get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water. You don’t know how good that water tastes coming from my own faucet. I brush my teeth three times a day, just because I can. I wash my clothes. I used to take those things for granted until I didn’t have them anymore. I can go out on my balcony and watch the sun, moon, and stars in a new way than I did on the street. They might be the same as they were months ago, but now I see them with new eyes.”

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