Tyson Sherrill is honest about the life he lived on the streets of Fort Lauderdale for three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know for myself, that I lost sight of myself,\u201d Sherrill said. \u201cThere is no peace, you\u2019re always looking over your shoulder. There\u2019s a sense of nervousness that is so profound and so grand that you can\u2019t get rest. You can\u2019t function like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sherrill completely turned his life around in the last 90 days. In June, he walked through the doors of Fort Lauderdale\u2019s Community Court, which can help people clear records of low-level offenses and connect people to services that can help them out of homelessness and addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the representatives came to speak with me, they made me feel a whole lot more comfortable and at ease,\u201d Sherrill said. \u201cThey were genuine about their approach and about their mission, to get people off the streets as well as to get them the assistance that they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInstead of clogging up the main court system, community court in Fort Lauderdale is providing an alternative for those with low-level offenses. NBC6’s Amanda Plasencia reports\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Sherrill is now three months sober, he has safe housing and is starting a new full-time job on Monday. <\/p>\n
Success stories like his prompted the city to hire seven new staffers to expand homeless outreach programs and get more people the help they need.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is about building a system that is smarter, stronger and more compassionate. One that reduces repeated police calls, cuts down on hospital visits, eases burdens on neighborhoods and businesses and most importantly helps people find stability and hope,\u201d said Mayor Dean Trantalis.<\/p>\n
Police officers, fire rescue, park rangers, behavioral health experts, case managers and coordinators are all part of the team effort to help people access services and navigate the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A process that Sherrill proved can work, and give new life where it was once all but lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just remaining in the realm of optimism, staying focused on greatness of life,\u201d Sherrill said.<\/p>\n