Click here to read this story and additional articles in the Spring 2025 Good Shepherd Journal

Hi, my name is Eric, and I am an alcoholic. It wasn’t always like this though. 

I was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada in 1993. I met a girl here. We became a couple and over time we had a couple of daughters. I wanted a career, so I enlisted with the Military – the Army.

I became a vehicle technician. Then I made my first mistake. I carried marijuana through Pearson Airport and was caught.

I didn’t want to be dishonorably discharged from the military, so I resigned. I regret that decision to this day.

I started piecing my life back together, but then my brother came to visit. He overstayed his visa and started getting in trouble with the law. He used my ID, so the police thought it was me. I was arrested. Because I had an earlier offence, I was deported back to Jamaica.

Back home I was a pariah, a failure. I ended up living on the beach. One night, I got attacked. I grew very depressed about how far I had fallen.

Fortunately, I was still in contact with my partner. In 2011, we met up in Trinidad and got married. She went back to Canada, and I wanted to follow, but I had to get a pardon first, which took 3 years.

When I got back to Canada, I was so happy to be reunited with my family. But we had been apart for so long that my daughters didn’t know who I was. The rejection by my children hit me hard and I took up drinking to cope. I had always been a casual drinker, but now I was a drunk, just like my own father. Because of my drinking my wife kicked me out of the house, I had nowhere to go, so I ended up in a shelter in Scarborough.

I knew I was addicted to alcohol, so I went through detox. But when I was released, I just went back to my old drinking ways. For many, many years — more than 7 times — I went from homeless shelter to detox back to homelessness.

Then there was a magical 14-month period. It was amazing. I was clearheaded, I felt good. I reconnected with my children. We spent the weekends together making up for lost time. I even got a job, a good, unionized job as a heavy equipment operator.

Life was good, but then my sister died. I used her death as an excuse to resume my drinking. I fell hard, and lost everything – my apartment, my job, my children, all hope…and I became homeless again.

I was back to living on the street, just trying to survive, and it was tough. I had heard about Good Shepherd, so I made my way to the shelter, and they took me in.

While here I met Mike from the DARE program, he’s a very good man. He got me into a 7-day detox program, and when that finished, I was admitted into the DARE program.

DARE is just what I need. It gives me structure, I do chores, I’m busy all day long. 

Because of everything that I’ve been through – being homeless, being deported, my experiences back in Jamaica, I have PTSD and have trouble sleeping.

I’ve promised myself that this will be my last rodeo, that I’ll give up the booze for good, because I know that if I don’t that I will die. I want to get my family back, but I have to stay sober before that can happen. I have a grandson now, but my daughter won’t let me see him because I’m a drunk.

I’m thankful to be in treatment now, but my greatest worry is what happens after it’s done? Where will I go after it’s over? Good Shepherd has told me I can stay here, but I can’t work if I live here.

Becoming homeless again is one of my biggest worries. I’m just taking it one day at a time!

Since he told his story, Eric has been housed thanks to the services for Veterans at Good Shepherd. He continues to work on his recovery.

Please make a donation so that Good Shepherd can continue to provide support to people in need such as Eric.