Man rises from homelessness to first-time graduate: ‘I’m going to survive and grow’

PHOENIX (KNXV) - A series of unfortunate events left an Arizona man without a roof over his head at nearly 60 years old, but he’s now rising again and working to graduate for the first time.

Addist Bennett suffered a hernia on the job at nearly 60 years old that left him unable to work, and the dominoes soon began to fall. He lost his apartment, his identification and, eventually, his confidence.

“I just never thought my life would be reduced to pushing a cart,” Bennett said.

The pain from his hernia was so bad that it was, at times, debilitating.

“You can have so much pain it could literally cause you to pass out,” he said.

One day, that excruciating pain struck at the top of a 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.

In roughly six months, Bennett’s ailment had cost him nearly everything. He recalls looking to a higher power while pushing his cart on the streets.

“Just give me the strength to get back up and keep going,” he said.

As quickly as things unraveled, it took Bennett years to claw his way back. He attributes his ascent out of homelessness to when he started volunteering at the Salvation Army, which connected him with Circle the City, an organization that helps people experiencing homelessness navigate the healthcare system.

“I just kept taking small steps,” Bennett said.

Once his health stabilized, he enrolled at Gateway Community College, studying HVAC, controls and security. While still in school, he landed a job as a surveillance technician through a partnership with Johnson Controls.

Bennett, who will turn 60 soon, describes himself as a resilient weed growing out of the pavement.

“I’m going to survive and grow, no matter what happens,” he said.

He plans to graduate with an associate’s degree by the fall – and says walking across the stage will be his first time doing so.