Success Stories

Mr. Joe Bedford got an early Christmas present -- a home of his own. As a resident of the Evolution Center he was able to transition to his own apartment through the help of the Bridges to Homes project.

Mr. Bedford has been homeless since 2007, and he says he is “just glad” that he has a place to call his own. Originally from from Marietta, GA, Mr. Bedford never married and does not have any children. During the times he was experiencing homelessness, Mr. Bedford was living in shelters all over Atlanta and in Cobb County, as well as sleeping outdoors when shelters were at capacity. Mr. Bedford is actively looking for work, hoping to get social security disability income, and with the help of Gateway Center, he now has an appeal pending. In the past, Mr. Bedford provided caregiving services to friends and family members in exchange for housing. When they passed away, he would then experience homelessness. This happened three times and right before he made his way to the Evolution Center and made the connections necessary to get his own apartment. With a big smile on his face, Mr. Bedford told us that the first thing he did when he entered his new home was to “go to sleep” because he no longer had to get up at 5:00 a.m. each day to walk the streets. Sweet Dreams Mr. Bedford!