After a major setback, Oquavien set out to get his life back on track. He found himself in a living situation that wasn’t benefitting him, and as he was facing imminent homelessness, he got connected with Presbyterian Night Shelter’s Family and Individual Rapid Exit (FIRE) program.
The FIRE Program is designed to reduce and eliminate barriers that people entering homelessness are facing, working quickly to move them out of homelessness and into a home. In 2024, this successful program moved 411 individuals, including 220 children, into stable housing.
“They were able to help me navigate on how to go about applying for apartments and assist me with everything that I needed in order to get situated and be placed where I needed to be,” Oquavien shares. Working with Latavius Hunter, his Journey Home Guide, he got much more than an apartment, he developed skills in budgeting and learned how to grocery shop and cook for himself, rather than getting fast food. This has had positive impacts on his health, too.
“I told him make a grocery list and go in the store and get only what is on the list," Latavius says, “Because we tend go in and buy everything we think we may need. But if you make a list and stick to it, and budget properly, you will know how much you spend weekly, or monthly.”
Learning these skills have paid off in a big way for Oquavien. Now a year out from living in his own apartment, he has maintained his stability and is thriving.
“It has just brought me back to a sense of normality to where I’m comfortable,” he says with a smile on his face. “I can enjoy my life and be at peace.”
