Hi, I’m Terry and I’m a drug addict and also a cook at Soul’s Harbor. I have been clean and sober since August 2019.

Let me start from the beginning. I was born in Munich, Germany. I guess that makes me German. My Dad was a Drill Sargent in the army. He served in the Korean War and we moved a lot with my Dad. When Vietnam War heated up, he was shipped there. When he came back, he was a very different man. I suspect he had PTSD. I believe to deal with that, he drank a lot and became an alcoholic. Soon after, my Dad and my mom divorced as my Dad’s drinking escalated. My Dad finally got sober in 1979 because of Alcoholic Anonymous. He stayed sober for the rest of his life. AA turned my Dad’s life around.

When my Mom and Dad divorced, I went to Los Angeles with my mom. My mom was a single parent trying to keep the family together by working during the day and being a mom at night. At the age of 13, I was smoking pot and by 15 years old, I was doing PCP. In Los Angeles, I was involved in “a drug deal gone bad”. I got shot in the leg, but my best friend was shot dead in the head. I am very thankful to God that I am living today.

I needed a change of scenery and left Los Angeles behind, so I moved to Dallas in 1981 and lived with my Dad who was sober now. I got a great job with an aerospace company, got married and had 4 kids. I moved to Ferris, Texas and had my first encounter with Soul’s Harbor. My wife and I bought our first washer and dryer at Soul’s Harbor Thrift Store in Ferris. My wife loved shopping at the Ferris Thrift Store and still does to this day.

In 1985, I tried crack cocaine and got hooked. The aerospace company gave me 7 chances to get clean by sending me to rehab 7 different times. After the seventh time, they had enough and fired me. As Brent says “The Great Eraser” kicked in – I erased my job, my nice car and finally my wife and kids. In 1997, I came to Soul’s Harbor – not as a customer – but now as a homeless resident. Soul’s Harbor needed a cook and I had acquired that skill from my mom and ex-wife. I really enjoyed cooking for the guys. I have been trying to get sober and clean for the last 22 years but nothing stuck. Because of my addiction, I landed in prison 9 times for breaking into commercial establishments. Texas prisons are really a hard place to live because none of the prisons I stayed at had air conditioning. So, August in an El Paso Texas state prison is like living in hell.

Finally in August 2019, I was sick of my lifestyle and the many wrong decisions I had made. Soul’s Harbor had planted a seed in my head that recovery is very possible, even with a person who constantly relapsed, like myself. Today, I live in the little blue house at Soul’s Harbor where residents like me have been living there since 1956. I have a room to myself but most importantly, I have a strong faith in God and I am reunited with my 4 kids and 11 grand-kids. Life is so much better.

Thank you Soul’s Harbor for believing in me.

Kit Kat…

This is a picture of “Kit Kat” who is one of the favorite kittens at Soul’s Harbor. One of the many issues with substance abuse/addiction is self-absorbed behavior. With 10 cats on our premise, our men feed them, take care of them and give them some loving. It is a nice addition to our holistic approach to our recovery model.

If you would like to donate cat food, please call our dispatch office at 972-286-1940 and we will be happy to pick up the cat food.

We need your help…

Soul’s Harbor homeless shelter is supported solely by our four thrift stores. You can donate your household items via phone (972-286-1940) or our “Household Donation Request Form” page. We also take automobiles “Vehicle Donation Request Form“. So if you have old clothes, furniture, appliances, household items, or even a car to donate to Soul’s Harbor, either fill out our online form or call our dispatch office at 972-286-1940. Our dispatch office is open Monday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

We are sustained solely through our four thrift store sales. We rely on your donated items to support our shelter. At Soul’s Harbor, we would like to thank all our customers that donate their items and also our thrift store customers. Because without our customers, there would be no Soul’s Harbor.

Thank you and God Bless.

Brent Burmaster
Executive Director of Soul’s Harbor Homeless Shelter

Dispatch Representative/Main Contact Number:
Soul’s Harbor, Incorporated
13134 Nile Drive
Dallas, Texas 75253
972.286.1940
972.286.5282 Fax
contact@soulsharbordallas.org

Thank you so much for your financial consideration. Note, your tax-deductible contributions may also be submitted through PayPal to donate@soulsharbordallas.org.*Please note: Users of Internet Explorer 8 and above may experience difficulties with our PayPal “Donate” button. Please access PayPal directly to make a financial contribution to Soul’s Harbor, Inc. Thank you!