NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a long, difficult journey, a local man tells us he's arrived at a new place of healthy. He's looking to help others reach that too. That means leading by example.
There's a picture taken during the lowest point of Justin Biggs' life when addiction had taken over. He's not trying to hide the picture. He wants you to see it to know how far he's come.
"I'm proud of that picture," he said. "Without that picture, without that person, this person doesn't exist."
I first met Justin two years ago. He was living in a halfway house and was actively working to change his life.
"It's kinda surreal just being back," Justin told me in 2022, walking through an area beside an interstate. "I never thought I would have to come back. I slept under the bridge every night with roughly 10 people. Mental health doesn't discriminate. Addiction doesn't discriminate. It could be you, your daughter, your son. It could be anyone."
Justin was only 16 when his pill addiction began. He was eventually missing rehab and running out of chances with family. He began living in camp sites.
"Keeps the wind off you cause you're down in a hole," Justin said of seeking shelter. "At first, this is kinda where I stayed to stay away from everyone else and feel safe. Eventually, I'm doing meth and heroin by use of IV. I would use the meth. I couldn't sleep, so I'd have to use the shot of fentanyl in order to calm down and go to sleep. I hit my rock bottom. When I hit that low, I thought, 'man, I gotta do something.' I started chasing sober life with the intensity I chased that meth and fentanyl every day."
Today is so different. Justin's living in a nice home with a great friend circle and job.
"I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but I'm a lot further than I've been," Justin said.
The journey he's lived is always on his mind. Justin said he lived without a home for nine years. He still comes to these areas where he used to stay. Today, it's for a very different reason."
"Over here's more outer wear, jackets," Justin said, digging through a pile of clothes.
Justin is now in his third year of his Hoodies for Homeless effort. He collects clothes, gloves, hygiene products, anything. On Nov. 22, he will hand deliver it all to people living without homes throughout the city.
He's helped by friend Andrew Kelly.
"I have a similar story," Andrew said. "I was more an alcoholic for 20 plus years. I gave it all to God, and in doing so, I realized what I was actually missing in my life."
"I just wanna help everybody that I can," Justin continued. "Just to see the men and women still out there, I see myself in them. When I look back at that picture, I'm overcome with happiness, joy, and motivation. I didn't think I could get out, but I did. If I could do it, anyone could do it."
To help Justin's effort, he can be reached by email at justinbiggs615@gmail.com. His Cash App is @justinbiggs931 and Venmo is jbiggs1000.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
