Jon grew up in Carmel, NY, just an hour outside of New York City. His early years were filled with love and stability, but at the age of eight, his father left. His mother remarried soon after, and by the time Jon was nine, his family had changed entirely. 

Jon was diagnosed with schizophrenia at twelve, a condition that would add layers of complexity to his journey, along with the need to seek numbness from drugs and alcohol from an early age. 

Growing up, Jon was expected to show his biological father love, even when it wasn’t reciprocated. This pattern of seeking affection in one-sided relationships set the foundation for many of the abusive situations he later endured.

At seventeen, Jon moved to New Jersey to live with his partner. His partner’s mother was battling kidney disease and diabetes, unable to walk, while his brother had severe autism. Jon moving in allowed his partner to focus on caregiving, while he took on the role of provider. The relationship lasted six years, and when his partner’s mother passed away, their relationship began to unravel, eventually ending in separation.

Jon moved on quickly, marrying his ex-husband after just a year of dating. Looking back, he believes he was love-bombed—showered with affection and promises before the reality of abuse set in. Eventually, he fled the marriage and sought treatment for substance use in California, which had resurfaced due to abuse from his partner. 

Los Angeles became his new home for four years, where he attended rehab—what he jokingly calls the “Lindsay Lohan rehab.” But his fresh start was short-lived. California’s devastating wildfires consumed the area he lived in, including the place where he worked. “When you walked outside, there was just ashes,” he recalls. The trauma of losing everything pushed him to return to New York, seeking refuge with his biological father, though their relationship had always been strained. 

For a while, Jon bounced between family members before settling in Albany. But his mental health struggles, combined with the high cost of living, made stability unattainable. He moved into a shared living situation in Troy, but it quickly fell apart. Recognizing his downward spiral, his family sent him to Puerto Rico, hoping it would be a fresh start. Instead, in 2017, Hurricane Maria destroyed his apartment. Once again, Jon found himself uprooted, forced to start over.

Back in the States, he moved in with his brother temporarily, then with a new partner. This partner, however, was a violent alcoholic. Jon suffered severe manipulation and abuse. He tried to leave multiple times but always found himself pulled back in. Part of him stayed because he knew that if he left, he would be homeless. When he finally managed to escape, he returned to his brother’s home. That was when he attempted to take his own life.

Jon was resuscitated, and he remained in a coma for three days. The moment he woke up, he felt the crushing weight of having to carry on. He went straight back to work, as if nothing had happened. In his mind, suicide had seemed like the only way to stop everyone—including himself—from worrying about his future. But survival forced him to confront the truth: he needed help.

Jon’s brother refused to let him move back in, so he turned to the Department of Social Services (DSS), which placed him in a motel. Isolated and severely depressed, his mother eventually found him a room to rent in Troy. But that, too, fell apart when threats from his roommate made him feel unsafe.

A trip back to Puerto Rico for his mother’s wedding offered him a moment of clarity—if he didn’t seek serious help, he knew he would try to end his life again. Determined to change his trajectory, he admitted himself to Four Winds, a psychiatric hospital. Afterward, he transitioned to SunRise, a mental health retreat operated by RISE of Saratoga Springs, where he was finally connected to Shelters of Saratoga.

Through Shelters of Saratoga, Jon found stability. He was placed in Stonequist, a supportive housing program with affordable rent, allowing him to prioritize his mental health rather than constantly struggling to survive.

“I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to live anymore,” he says. “I don’t have to worry about my mental health deteriorating because I don’t have a place to live. I have a stable base to move up from.”

Before finding Shelters of Saratoga, Jon didn’t even know low-income supportive housing was an option. Now, he has a future he never thought possible.

“I got so lucky being able to stay at Shelters of Saratoga,” he says. “My case manager is amazing. She actually cares about my life and where I’m going. When I found out I got into Stonequist, she jumped up and down and celebrated with me.”

For those who are struggling, Jon has one piece of advice: “Be a good person, and keep the faith.”

Jon’s journey has been filled with unimaginable pain, but through resilience, support, and the right resources, he has finally found a path forward.