Jose’s Journey
If you asked Jose Reynosa about his life in Vancouver, he would tell you all about his community around Commercial Drive. About people who helped him to change his life for the better, and his efforts to pay it forward for the blessings he received. He would tell you how much he enjoys riding his bike across the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge on his way to North Vancouver and about the beauty of the nature he’s surrounded by. He would tell you about his long journey to this new life, as a recovered alcoholic. After 8 years of homelessness, Jose now lives with a roof over his head and works a job to pay his bills. He is a long-time member of The Kettle, a friendly face at the drop-in, and a member of the SEED program. His resilience, grit, and hard work led him to where he is today. This is his story.
“I started coming by in the mornings for coffee while I was still sleeping on the streets. That was not my kind of living. I didn’t like the way I smelled or how people looked down at me. I was thinking – I got to do something and change my life. At The Kettle, I felt relieved."
- Jose Reynosa
The Kettle member and SEED worker
Jose was relatively young when he moved to Vancouver. He was in his thirties but already had a long history of trauma in his life. It was a challenging journey for him - running from his home in El Salvador as a political refugee in the United States over the years to his final destination in Canada.
“I came to Canada in 1984.”, he told us, explaining that he moved from Toronto after falling in love with Vancouver. “When I came to The Kettle twelve years ago, I was homeless and a heavy drinker. All my life, I’ve been drinking. It stemmed from PTSD I live with after my life in El Salvador. What I had been through there started bothering me, coming to my head like nightmares. I felt like people were watching me or following me, things like that. It was all in my head. I came to The Kettle and asked – Can you guys help me get back on my feet? I’m addicted to alcohol. Can you help me to get some food? I can’t pay, I’m broke, I got nothing.”
Jose was welcomed at The Kettle’s drop-in centre with open arms. He got the clothes he needed, the warm shower he was missing, and did the laundry after a long time.
Still, the nights were hard. He couldn’t get rest sleeping in a warehouse where he was given the space to spend his nights, in return for keeping the place tidy. He was afraid and didn’t feel safe, and the nightmares he had made things worse.
“Afternoons were tough as we didn’t have a place to go. We would stay at The Kettle. Around 4 pm they would start calling people if they wanted to do the chores so they could have some food to go, so I started doing that. Because you are hungry in the evening right.”
Hardships of early years in El Salvador
Jose was born into a family he doesn’t remember. The first childhood memories he has are of a couple he used to call mom and dad. At the age of five, he says, he realized that these people could not be his parents. He didn’t feel loved. He never experienced kindness and care. He remembers hard work in their fields while his bare foot was tied up with a chain. What he did experience was physical abuse by, as he assumes, his foster parents.
“I’m an orphan, I still don’t know who my family is. I don’t know if my family is still alive. I don’t even know them. I don’t know my dad. You know that dad is supposed to give you a role model; I got nothing. I’ve been on my own since I was five.”, says Jose.
Jose was sent to a residential school, where he spent the next eight years. The horrors of his school years are carved in his soul, and the fears he got there are following him even today, waking him up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.
After being released from school in his teenage years, he didn’t have anyone to turn to. No family, no relatives, no friends.
The political environment in El Salvador in those years was dangerous for everyone, especially for young men like Jose, who didn’t have any resources or support. Social injustice and violence amid the escalating conflict between the military government and left-wing insurgents led to the Salvadoran Civil War, and Jose joined one political organization in their fight against the government.
“After they released me from school, I saw a lot of stuff I couldn’t do anything about, and that would make me cry—the government was corrupt in those days. People would not be allowed even to wear jeans or tennis shoes. People would disappear. I was a political prisoner and spent two and a half years in prison.” Jose remembers.
After he was released from jail, he sought refuge protection abroad. After his first stop in Mexico, he spent the next few years in Arizona, Seattle, and Toronto, before he settled in Vancouver.
Six years ago Jose got a job through our Skills, Esteem & Employment Development Program (SEED). Today, he has a roof over his head and money to pay his bills.
“Since I started working for The Kettle I have even been saving some money. I bought a bicycle and an electric scooter. I never had those things before", says Jose.
His current SEED assignment is Kitchen Floor Cleaning in the Drop-In. He is a powerhouse cleaner and takes great pride in his work. He usually works more than his scheduled shift and volunteers to do the lunch dishes and the kitchen recycling.
Finding relief from the street life
With little working experience, and not knowing how the government and welfare system works, he couldn’t support himself. He was sleeping on the streets around Commercial Drive when he discovered The Kettle.
“Little by little I started coming by in the mornings for coffee while I was still sleeping on the streets. That was not my kind of living. I didn’t like the way I smelled or how people looked down at me. I was thinking – I got to do something and change my life. At The Kettle, I felt relieved. They started giving me shoes, socks, pants, and lunch. I used to clean there so I would get a free lunch. Afternoons were tough as I didn’t have a place to go. I would stay at The Kettle. Around 4 pm they would start calling people if they wanted to do the chores so they could have some food to go, so I started doing that. Otherwise, I'd be hungry in the evening.”
Jose had the same routine for years. He was grateful for the support he was given during the day, but he was challenged to find a safe place to spend the night for years. When he decided things needed to change, he started with himself. Six years ago, he began his journey to sobriety by reducing his drinking and asking for counseling. At the same time, he accepted an opportunity to work through The Kettle’s Skills, Esteem & Employment Development Program (SEED).
“I couldn’t find a job because I was drinking,” says Jose, “Since I started working for The Kettle, I have even been saving some money. I bought a bicycle and an electric scooter. I never had those things before. Now I wake up at five every morning to exercise. I go for a walk and go outside. I come to The Kettle and ask what I can do for the day. I like to clean everything, wash the dishes, and organize things in the kitchen.”
“I pass by many temptations and old friends inviting me to drink with them. I always walk away. I don’t give up, return to my old ways. I even quit smoking. I’ve surprised myself too... being sober is like being free. I see people on the streets and in the back alleys, and I say - I was there, I know how you feel. Now I’m getting compliments – hey Jose, you look healthy! I’m proud of myself. Being at The Kettle, and volunteering to engage with people and talk to them about how to get sober.”
Through his time at The Kettle, Jose learned that he could get help to find housing. Even though he had been around for years, it was not until three years ago that he decided to ask for help.
“I was tired of sleeping outside. I asked for help and was lucky enough to find an apartment through subsidized housing. I have my own living room, a washroom, a place to cook, and a place to sleep. And my balcony. I love to watch people walking down the street from my balcony,” he explains.
Jose is close to 60 years old today. He is committed to giving back through volunteerism and supporting people in recovery by sharing his experiences.
“I have to speak with people because I know how they feel and now it’s my turn to help others. I go to different programs, to community centers. I tell them not to feel afraid to talk to me because I know what they are going through. I love Vancouver. It is a beautiful city to stay away from trouble and just enjoy. I’m in the right place now,” Jose concludes that he’s on a journey of just enjoying his recovery and the place he now calls home. Today, when he feels stressed, Jose goes around riding his scooter. He brings music and snacks and enjoys the scenery and nature in North Vancouver - his favorite place to be.
All of that would not have been possible if Jose hadn’t found the strength within himself to overcome his fears and not give up on his dreams for a better life. He found a support system and a purpose within the Kettle community and we are so proud to be a part of his journey.
