When people ask, “what is the face of homelessness”, it is  a  hard question to answer. People experiencing homelessness come from varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds, grew up in different socio-economic conditions, and have often dealt with overwhelming tragedies and barriers in their lives. There is not one face of homelessness, just as each person and situation is unique. Please allow us to share a story of one face of homeless. This story is about Abraham.

Abraham is a refugee from Sudan, and grew up in a small village called Wau. He is tall, slim, kind, and has the most contagious smile you will ever see. He speaks three languages, Lua, Arabic, and a bit of English. Abraham is a survivor and exemplifies a strength that many of us wish we had.

In Sudan, Abraham was a theology student, studying to be a Catholic Priest and teaching Christianity. He lost both parents to Malaria and began to “hear voices” around the age of 18. This was the beginning of a long battle with schizophrenia, a debilitating mental illness, if left untreated. About six years ago, he was arrested by the Sudanese government and spent three months in jail. After being arrested, he fled to Egypt as a refugee.

In Egypt, Abraham applied for asylum with the United Nations and came to the United States in 2004. He chose to come to Austin, Texas, because it was where his brother lived.  Unfortunately, Abraham was unable to live with his brother due to strained living conditions. His brother’s family of eight lived in a two bedroom apartment.

Throughout the next few years, Abraham worked with Refugee Services at Caritas and with case managers at Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC - formerly MHMR). He worked in a downtown hotel in the laundry room. His commitment to family was evident, because much of what he earned he sent to his family in Sudan.

Sadly, due to his mental illness, Abraham eventually lost his housing and job, and spent time in Austin State Hospital and Psychiatric Emergency Services. He soon became homeless, sleeping in the ARCH emergency overnight shelter when possible, camping, or on the street. Sometimes, he only ate once a day. During this time Abraham did what many homeless people with mental illness do, he self-medicated with alcohol.

 However, in 2009, Abraham began working with a Front Steps Case Manager at the ARCH named Candy, who also happened to speak a bit of Arabic (from when she spent time in Egypt). Candy was able to help him begin case management, reserve a bed in the overnight shelter, reconnect him with an ATCIC case manager, and join Streets of Hope (Front Steps’ drug and alcohol recovery program).

This is a hard road for anyone, and Abraham faced many battles. In addition to being homeless, his bag, along with his green card and identification documents, was stolen. Yet, through his own determination, he was able to save his money so that he could renew his required paperwork.

He recently moved into a permanent supportive housing unit, and is doing wonderfully! After attending Front Steps’ Streets of Hope program for five months, he is sober. Streets of Hope is our drug and alcohol abuse recovery program.  He also continues to work diligently with his ATCIC and Front Steps Case Managers.

Though he is now in housing, this is not where his story ends. Moving into housing is just one step in a long road to recovery. It is easy to become lonely and isolated, so to keep his spirits up, he sometimes has his friends stay overnight. Recently, he and a friend went bowling and made spaghetti. He also regularly visits the Self Help and Advocacy Center (SHAC), a program of ATCIC that provides support, guidance, and socialization for people living with a mental illness.  

One particular highlight in the past year was when Abraham worked with a Front Steps intern, who is also from Africa. While Abraham has a great group of supporters now, if you speak Arabic or are interested in Sudanese/African culture, let us know! We would love to have volunteers continue supporting Abraham. And while he has some home essentials, he still has several more in-kind donation needs. If you are interested in learning more, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
                                                                                                                                                                                                 While Abraham’s success is due in part to the collaboration between Front Steps, ATCIC, and other agencies, as well as all his compassionate case managers – he is the real hero. He has faced many challenges; as a refugee, as someone who doesn’t speak the language well, as someone with a mental illness, as a recovering alcoholic, and as a person who was homeless. Yet, he has overcome these barriers and is bravely moving forward.

One look at his amazing smile and you will see why he inspires us to do the work we do.

If you would like to help create more success stories, please visit http://www.frontsteps.org/how-to-help/donate.html.   

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