“Urban Pathways has made me the most secure I have ever been in my life.”
“I’ve been homeless on and off for the majority of my life”, says 59-year-old Artie Snow.
Artie was born in Puerto Rico and at age ten moved to New York with his parents, five sisters, and two brothers.
Living in Brooklyn, Artie started hanging out with the wrong crowd during his first year of high school. Artie felt peer pressure from friends in the neighborhood to “be cool.” By the 10th grade, Artie had dropped out of high school and was regularly partying. By the age of 18, Artie was addicted to heroin.
During the late 1980s, Artie had a daughter and worked steadily for years in maintenance and janitorial services to support his family, all while still struggling with substance use.
During this time, Artie’s addiction slowly took control of his life. He lost his family, his job, and his home, becoming homeless in the mid-1990s.
For the next twenty years, Artie repeatedly cycled through homelessness and rehab in New York and other places.
“My family knew what I was going through. They always supported me during my struggles.”
In 2017, Artie made the decision to address his substance use. He admitted himself to a rehab program and never looked back.
While receiving services elsewhere, Artie learned of Urban Pathways and was soon accepted into the Residence at Hallet’s Cove. Artie now had a support team on hand to help him in his transition to sobriety and stability.
Artie realized Urban Pathways had more to offer than just a place to live. He enrolled in a day treatment program to continue his recovery, graduating from the program this past summer.
With the help of his case manager, Artie has relearned the basics of daily living. He applied for Public Assistance and Medicaid, learned to shop for food, to budget his money, and to save for the future.
“I never had a bank account or credit card until I came to Urban Pathways.”
In addition to reconnecting with his daughter, Artie speaks to his sisters every day and is happy they no longer worry about him.
Artie will soon move into his own apartment through Urban Pathways’ Moving On Program.
“I am nervous and excited about moving into my own apartment. I have never moved and taken things with me, I have just left places with all my belongings behind. I am so happy I don’t have to do that now.”
*Update*
In August of 2021, Artie finally moved into his own apartment on Roosevelt Island. He continues to work on his poetry, and now is able to see his sister more frequently. He attributes his pathway to independence to the help he received while at Urban Pathways. “Urban Pathways was there for me, and I took advantage of their resources”.
