NORFOLK, Va. — The holiday season three years ago was a dark time for Norfolk native Mike Larson.
"I was an alcoholic and avid cocaine user,” said Larson.
His addiction cost him, big.
"I lost everything. The trust of my family, the trust of my friends, job, money,” he said.
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It also cost him his home.
"I would either sleep on the beach or I’d find a cubby hole somewhere,” said Larson.
Tired of what his life had become, he turned to the only place he knew to go: The Salvation Army.
“I knew I needed to stop, so I came here and they accepted me with open arms. And that means a lot,” he said.
He shows me the bunk where he slept for 20 months in the Salvation Army men’s shelter.
“We started talking about substance abuse. We started talking about housing. We started talking about finding out who Michael is again,” said Salvation Army counselor Arthur Corpus.
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Now, Larson says he is substance free, working, and just landed a home of his own a few months ago.
“I felt like I was nobody. But now I’ve got something. I can take care of myself without somebody helping me,” said Larson.
He’s been a bell ringer since he entered the program.
“I just want to help those who I can and the bell ringing lets me do that,” said Larson.
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What’s different this year, according to the Salvation Army, is that people who do have jobs and homes are reaching out for assistance because they still can’t make ends meet.
“We’ve seen our neighbors in line for the Salvation Army. It's not just on this side of the tracks or on that side of the tracks; the cost of living and the pressures of everyday life are so much stronger,” said Major Chris Flanagan, who's been with the Salvation Army for more than 40 years.
And money collected here stays here. So when you do put money in the kettle, you could be helping someone you know.
The dedication from The Salvation Army and its volunteers to be there for people in need year-round makes them Positively Hampton Roads.
For more information about The Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command, click here.
