Antywon is a Pasadena native, someone well-known and deeply rooted in his community. When the Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) reached out to Friends In Deed’s Housing Department, they did so with care and urgency. They knew Antywon well. They knew his journey had been long and difficult. And they knew he needed support navigating what came next.
After returning home in 2024 following many years away, Antywon did everything that was asked of him: he transitioned into a halfway house, worked closely with Parole, and leaned on family and friends as he tried to rebuild. But stability was hard to come by. Then the Eaton Fire struck, destroying what little property he had managed to hold onto and forcing him, once again, to start over.
From January through September, Antywon lived in his vehicle. Still, he kept moving forward.
When he was evaluated and enrolled in a Rapid Re-Housing program for Eaton Fire survivors, it marked the first real step toward long-term stability. That’s when he began working closely with Friends In Deed’s Housing Navigation team.
As trust grew, Antywon shared pieces of himself beyond the hardships. Before everything changed, he had been a trained boxer with a promising future. Later, during a long period of reflection and self-growth, he completed culinary school and became a certified chef. When he returned home, he put that training to work at Whole Foods.
And he didn’t just show up, he excelled. Antywon began breaking food sales records and earned multiple recognitions for his performance. Promotions followed. For the first time in decades, he was experiencing real financial stability built through discipline, consistency, and hard work.
Behind the scenes, Friends In Deed worked alongside him to gather financial documents, submit a legal referral to address identity theft affecting his credit, and support him as he rebuilt his financial profile, critical steps toward securing permanent housing.
Recently, Antywon received a Gift Card Distribution Award, made possible by generous donors: a $500 gas card, a $500 Target card, and two $250 grocery cards. He was overwhelmed with gratitude, sharing that the support came at exactly the right moment, offering relief, encouragement, and a reminder that he wasn’t doing this alone.
Antywon and Friends In Deed will continue working together until he is permanently and safely housed. Each step brings him closer to the stability he has worked so hard to achieve and to a future defined not by where he’s been, but by where he’s going.