GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — In December of 2021, Coty Shearer’s life was turned upside down. The place he called home was gone.
“Ended up losing the house, ended up on the street,” explained Shearer.
The situation weighed heavily on him, living out of his van parked in the garage of the Bridge Street Market
“It was really cold out. I had to worry about the guy that's driving in the parking lot because, I'll tell you man, it wasn't supposed to be there,” said Shearer. He says the situation was a difficult one that became worse when his van broke down.
Not knowing his next move, he became depressed and suicidal, eventually checking himself into a Mental Health facility called Pine Rest.
“There is hope, even though I got broken down to the point where I was feeling really depressed and even suicidal at one point. There is hope,” said Shearer.
That hope came in the form of a commercial showing Exodus Place; a non-profit organization helping those in vulnerable situations like Shearer. He gave them a call and moved in two weeks later.
“We are a transitional housing center that takes individuals out of either homelessness or right after incarceration where they're reentering the community, or they're just found themselves in a situation where they don't have any place to live, or they're dealing with addictions,” said Jennifer Colby, Operations Manager at Exodus Place. “And they can come in and work with our programs.”
Exodus Place is one of the organizations that works with the Grand Rapids Homeless Outreach Team – or H.O.T.
It’s a task force made up of police officers, firefighters, social workers and a peer support specialist. It was created to last a few months during the height of the pandemic, but has stuck around to continue to help those living on the streets.
Exodus Place was a saving grace for Shearer.
“I got a place to stay, I got clothes, food, and workforce development helps me because I was able to find a second job because of that, so it gives you the experience to make yourself better.” said Shearer.
He was able to work 20 hours a week with the goal of saving and getting back on his feet. His message to others who may find themselves in the midst of a storm, is that there’s a rainbow on the other side.
“Don't be afraid to reach out for help, and don't be afraid to get help with other things too,” said Shearer.
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness and need help, you can contact Exodus Place at (616) 242-9130 or the Homeless Outreach Team at (616) 456-4240.
