Can of Worms

So yesterday a man who had worked and lived at the shelter died. He had been sober and employed by la puente for eight months when he fell of the wagon so to speak, the director fired him for drinking on the job, though still payed his rent to help get through this rough patch. To no avail, for he passed away of liver failure yesterday morning. Another worker and I went to pick up the woman who was drinking with him when he died, cause she was a mess and we were afraid she would drink herself into oblivion. I was sitting in the back with her as she rcounted his death over and over again and the reaction of his family, which was to storm the house moments after they had heard he was dead and ransack it for belongings, even digging through his wallet for what cash he had. I have no words to describe how sad the whole situation is, the lack of hope, the habits and addictions hard to break that drive people into this cycle. Exactly a year and a day ago another member of 'the crew' died from too much alcohol. Who knows who will be next, for those mourning for this most recent death are yet again drowning their grief at the bar.