Jackson had lived through years of homelessness, navigating the harsh realities of the streets. A cocaine and alcohol addict on and off for over five years, he often found himself in dangerous situations, particularly as knife crime continued to escalate around him. For a long time, Jackson didn’t think much about seeking help. He avoided Mentor Point Youth’s project, convinced that nothing could really change.

Despite the growing violence in his surroundings, Jackson’s visits to Mentor Point were rare and solely for a hot meal. But one day, as he saw people from the streets—some of whom had been involved in knife crime—begin to turn their lives around through the programs offered, something shifted in him. Realizing that the same help could be available to him, Jackson became determined to change his path, leaving behind the addiction and violence that had plagued him for so long.