AND HE’S SUCCEEDING –
July 22, 2025 – J.R. Montgomery strives to help those struggling with homelessness and substance use disorder. Studies show that peer support improves outcomes for those being helped, as well as those who help.
Montgomery, a New York City native — from Staten Island to be exact — had donated a mound of clothes, as well as a tall gray backpack when he arrived at Family Kitchen just an hour earlier.
“When you’re living on the streets,” Montgomery said, “the most important things to have are clean underwear and socks, a dry sleeping bag, and a spacious, comfortable backpack.”
That’s hard-earned knowledge for Montgomery. Since leaving his parents’ home as a young man, he’s split his time between Oregon and the Tri-State area. He’s lived for stints of varying durations in shelters and on the streets. Most recently, he slept in his minivan while parked in a Walmart parking lot.
At the Family Kitchen, Montgomery watched with keen interest as the young man inspected one backpack after another, tugging on the shoulder straps, plunging his hand inside to see how spacious they were. After trying a few, he finally slid the tall gray one onto his back.
