Addist Bennett's hernia forced him to lose his job and become homeless
Credit: ABC15 Arizona/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- A man’s hernia forced him to lose his job and become homeless
- With help from various organizations, Addist Bennett began rebuilding his life and enrolled in community college
- Bennett, 60, is now set to earn his first college degree, and he works as a surveillance technician with a positive outlook
An Arizona man is getting a chance to restart his life after he became homeless.
When Addist Bennett suffered a hernia, he was unable to continue working, which subsequently led to him losing his apartment.
“I just never thought my life would be reduced to [being homeless], pushing a cart,” Bennett, who was approaching 60 at the time, told ABC 15.
Bennett continuously encountered intense pain from his hernia, which he said would cause him to "pass out" at times. One of those terrifying moments happened on a public stairwell.
“The next thing I know, I was at the bottom of the stairs and didn't know how I got there. Woke up, didn't have no wallet, no laptop. Whoever came by saw me there and took what I had,” he said.
Still, Bennett continued on, hoping to find the "strength to get back up and keep going."
Over the years, he took "small steps" to try to get his life back together, including volunteering at the Salvation Army, which connected him with Circle the City, an organization that helps people experiencing homelessness.
“I never lost hope, even though it was very hard. But when I came here, I got out of survival mode and back to living," Bennett said, according to a Facebook post from the Salvation Army.
He added, "I was told that they just wanted to help me, and I needed help.”
From there, Bennett enrolled as a student at Gateway Community College to study HVAC, controls and security, ABC 15 reported.
He is set to receive his associate's degree later this year. It will mark Bennett's first time getting a college degree.
The now-60-year-old is currently working as a surveillance technician through Johnson Controls.
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Bennett is pushing forward and has nothing but a positive outlook for the future.
He said, per ABC 15, "I'm going to survive and grow, no matter what happens."
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