{"id":1093,"date":"2021-07-22T14:00:05","date_gmt":"2021-07-22T14:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/?p=1093"},"modified":"2026-01-08T17:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T17:57:23","slug":"peters-hope-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2021\/07\/peters-hope-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Peter’s hope story: A fresh start after much loss"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

After COVID-19 caused great pain and loss, Peter found help and hope for a fresh start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Peter was a chef at a Manhattan restaurant making a good income, and he had his own apartment. Then the pandemic hit in March 2020 and ushered in a season of extreme grief and loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Peter\u2019s boss closed the restaurant, and he lost his job. Then he lost three family members to COVID-19 within a few weeks of each other: his grandmother, father and brother. \u201cEverything came at once, really fast,\u201d he shares. Peter felt the pain not just emotionally, but also financially. The funeral costs drained his savings. Job hunting in the restaurant industry led nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter says, \u201cIn the beginning of the pandemic you think, it\u2019s only going to be one month and suddenly everything becomes normal.\u201d He battled depression and insomnia and struggled to find motivation each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, after not being able to pay rent for a few months, Peter lost his apartment. He went from one friend\u2019s house to another, but he didn\u2019t want to be a burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter decided to try living on the street<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For nearly a week, he went without shelter, sleeping on subway trains. One day, while sleeping on the train, he lost everything: his ID, his wallet, his backpack. Everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After six days, Peter was desperate for shelter. \u201cYour body gets so tired, and your feet start swelling because you\u2019re standing or sitting even when you sleep,\u201d Peter says. \u201cI was thinking, \u2018What am I going to do? I\u2019m so depressed.\u2019 That\u2019s when I decided, \u2018That\u2019s it, no more. I\u2019ve got to do something.\u2019\u201d Peter began searching on his phone for shelters \u2014 this led him to The Bowery Mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hadn\u2019t slept in days<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Peter had never been to a shelter before and was nervous about what it would be like. Pushing through his unease, he stayed overnight at The Bowery Mission\u2019s emergency shelter. There, he finally found the warm bed he had been dreaming of for so long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Beds\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

\u201cIt felt amazing. Most people have a bed, they have AC, a TV. You think of these things as just part of life. But when you sleep on the ground, little things like a warm bed and a bathroom feel like such a blessing.\u201d<\/em> \u2014<\/em> Peter<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In December, Peter joined our short-term program. He met with one of our social workers to talk through his needs and goals. He also began therapy to process all the trauma he had experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter has gradually been accomplishing his goals. This included getting his ID and passport so he could travel to Ecuador to see his family after a long absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He found \u201cangels hiding in human flesh\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Bowery Mission\u2019s vocational team has supported Peter in completing training for both construction and security work and obtaining a food handler\u2019s license so he will be fully equipped for the best job possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says he\u2019s most grateful for the people here at the Mission who have encouraged and supported him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Peter is back on his feet, he wants to return to the Mission to help people who are in difficult situations like he was. \u201cI\u2019m going to come volunteer with my daughter to help other people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Peter\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

\u201cTo me, they are like angels hiding in human flesh…. when you\u2019re at the Mission, it\u2019s because you need someone to carry you. In some ways, it\u2019s like the Mission is your big brother. Even if you fail, he\u2019s the brother to stand you up.\u201d<\/span><\/em> \u2014<\/em> <\/strong>Peter<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

You can help others find a fresh start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your generous support<\/a> helps give people like Peter the opportunity to start fresh after suffering such deep loss. Thank you for your compassion!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After COVID-19 caused great pain and loss, Peter found help and hope for a fresh start Peter was a chef at a Manhattan restaurant making a good income, and he had his own apartment. Then the pandemic hit in March 2020 and ushered in a season of extreme grief and loss. 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