It’s not a fiery disposition that earned Laron the nickname “Fire Ant,” but rather a curiosity and quest for knowledge he's held onto since childhood.“I used to play with ants when I was a kid — I liked to study them,” he said. “I like [my nickname], because fire ants are strong and they’re hard workers.”That same curiosity and fervor has stuck with him through a life of hardship and loss. Laron said that for a long time that flame was dimmed by poor circumstances and depression, but he’s now rekindled that quest for knowledge — and he loves sharing it with others.Lately it’s life skills and self-improvement that have captured his attention. There’s a light in his eyes as he talks about making a better life for himself. And he’s working hard to get there: attending classes, participating in Work Engagement and sharing the hope he’s found in the hardest of places.

"When I got here, I had to get over a lot of obstacles mentally and emotionally. Once I figured out how to do that, I made a 180-degree turn. Everything has changed."

You grew up in Colorado Springs. What can you tell me about that?“I’ve seen this town change from fields to buildings into a what it is today. It’s a real city now, but it wasn’t when I was growing up. … I was in a lot of stuff in school. I learned how to write music, I was in track and field. I did everything. I had a good childhood for the most part. … But then we moved to Denver, and things got harder.”

What happened that made it harder?“We moved up there around 1980. When I was in 4th and 5th grade, I was the only black kid in school. It wasn’t that bad at first, but I got bullied a lot in 7th grade on up. The white kids picked on me for being black, and the black kids picked on me for not being black enough. I was different — I wasn’t like the rest.”How did you end up coming back to Colorado Springs?“I got kicked out of the house when I was 18 and wound up coming to the Springs to live with my sisters. It was hard because I already had my first child and was a single dad. … But I knew how to go get help. I was on welfare, and then went back to work for a while at places like Wendy’s and King Soopers.”You said you were a single dad. How many children do you have?“I have seven kids altogether [biological and step]. I wasn’t with the first mom long and didn’t get married, but I did get married in 1993. … All I really knew how to do is sit at home and be a homemaker — a daddy. I tried to work and I tried to go to school, but nothing was ever solid. I was getting help from the government, so there wasn’t a whole lot of motivation there. … I didn’t see it this way at the time, but now I think back then I was a ‘government deadbeat dad.’”How long were you married?“We were married for a long time, but my wife died almost 10 years ago now. … It was like when a soldier loses an arm or a leg and they have that phantom pain. I didn’t know what to do with myself for a while. But I kept taking care of the kids, with help from the system and DHS (Department of Human Services). But it never got easier. I ended up losing everything.”Tell me about that. Is that when you became homeless?“Yeah, I’ve been homeless since 2014. My kids have been with a friend of the family since then. … I lived in my car for a while and slept in parking lots, and then I lost my car and came to Springs Rescue Mission two years ago. … I lost my car, I lost my housing, I lost my kids — I lost everything.”What has life been like for you since becoming homeless and coming to the Mission?“When I got to the Mission my depression and anxiety just shot through the roof. I never wanted to kill myself, because there were still always things I want to do. … But I think the second thing to suicide is hopelessness — and I had a lot of that. At first I’d just sit here and think about everything I’d lost. I was homeless, no car, lost my kids, all my belongings and possessions were gone. It was horrible.”

How have things changed since then?“Oh, my mindset is totally different now. … I got here in 2018 and went into the men’s shelter about a year ago. When I got here, I had to get over a lot of obstacles mentally and emotionally. Once I figured out how to do that, I made a 180-degree turn. Everything has changed. I had a bad attitude. I was depressed, anxious and stressed. There was so much hopelessness in my life. … Now I’m happy, my sense of humor is back, I’m listening to my music again, I’ just finished some classes and I’m in Work Engagement. … I’m here, and I’m going to make the best of it until I can get a job and find a place to live.”Can you tell me about the classes you finished?“I just finished up a Life Skills class and a class called Core Purpose. They’re here at the Mission. They teach you how to live a good life and do things right. I learned about different mindsets and kind of about how you need to think to be successful. I never learned any of that, and I see things really differently now. I feel like I understand more about how to live a good life — and that’s what I’m going to do.”What do you think of everything going on right now with the COVID-19 pandemic? How is it affecting your life?“We’ve survived so much already. … You feel like you’re restricted. But, if you’re homeless, you’re kind of already restricted in a lot of ways. I don’t think it’s impacting us the way it is a lot of other people. … There’s no fear about it here.”Subscribe to our blog to learn more about Springs Rescue Mission and the people we serve: people like Laron, who have seen tough times but are committed to breaking the cycles of homelessness, hunger and addiction in their lives. We see stories of hope and transformation lived out every day, and we’d love to share them with you.