Like many others, Harrison Bartels fell into homelessness due an unfortunate situation. After Harrison had worked for years at the same place of employment, the owner abruptly sold the business without informing Harrison and his fellow employees, leaving them without work or a paycheck. Unfortunately for Harrison, he and his sister were evicted from their home shortly after. 

As his sister and her daughter went to a live with a friend, Harrison was faced with what would become his new reality: living on the streets of Houston. Throughout seven years of experiencing homelessness, Harrison told us the major barriers he faced included the lack of food, trouble communicating with friends and family, and numerous experiences of theft. 

Harrison is extremely close with this family, and the lack of communication was the biggest barrier for him. Trying to find locations where he could get internet or charge his phone prevented him from speaking with his family, exacerbating his emotional and mental struggles. Harrison credits his strength to surviving the streets of Houston to his family, his faith, and hope, as without those he would not be where he is today. 

Harrison lived by a motto he created during his time experiencing homelessness, click here to hear him talk about what helped get him through his time on the streets. 

Although his family, faith, and hope gave him strength during his experience of homelessness, Harrison credits the Coalition, Micah Southern, and The Salvation Army of Greater Houston for ending that seven-year long experience and putting him in a home which he now calls his own. 

Micah Southern, senior outreach associate with the Coalition for the Homeless, first met Harrison in October 2020, at the start of the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP). Harrison was initially hesitant to interact with the outreach team; he didn’t think housing was truly an option for him, or that housing services would be available during the time of the pandemic. 

With persistence and dedication to help Harrison, Micah was able to earn his trust. And after working with Harrison for a few months, Micah was finally able to help Harrison get the documentation he needed for housing. Unfortunately, the documentation didn’t arrive until after Storm Uri hit Houston. 

Harrison was amongst the 1,000+ individuals who were living unsheltered at the time when the severe winter weather affected our community earlier this year. As soon as the Coalition’s outreach team developed their plan for assisting those during the storm, they hit the streets of Houston to help transport clients to warming shelters. Fortunately for Harrison, he and Micah had just spoke days earlier and Micah was able to help Harrison get to a warming center ahead of the unprecedented arctic blast. 

Harrison shared his deep gratitude for Micah and Coalition for helping him and the many others living unsheltered get to warming shelters. He’s thankful to The Salvation Army for assisting him once in the warming shelter, and now for being a client in their Bridge to Permanent Supportive Housing Program through the CCHP. 

On the day of move-in, Harrison shared his excitement for his future and what it’s like to have a place of his own. Click here to listen to Harrison describe his feelings of moving in.

Now that Harrison has a home, we asked him what his goals and next steps were once he settles in. Harrison shared that his first goal was to get a job and source of income. He is very determined to be a working man again and build a life in his new home. 

With the additional help of two very involved senior outreach associates, Harrison now has a job! Micah Southern and Brandon Oliver continued to follow-up with Harrison about his desire and dedication to getting employed, and with their assistance and his can-do attitude, Harrison is now an official employee with MOD Pizza. 

Before leaving Harrison on the day of move-in, we asked if he would like to share anything with the public and our community, and he shared with us one simple wish. Click here to listen to Harrison’s one wish and last words for this interview.