Olamide Osude was born in Lagos, Nigeria and migrated to America after winning a visa lottery. His problem drinking had started before he left Africa, but upon his arrival in a new land, it became worse. And he soon turned to stronger, more dangerous drugs.

While living in Denver, Olamide realized his drinking and drug habits were soon going to cost him his job and his home. Not wanting to spend a Colorado winter on the streets, he decided to take a bus to Los Angeles with the full expectation he would become a homeless statistic. But on the very day he stepped off the bus and onto the Los Angeles pavement, Olamide Osude wandered into The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light shelter on skid row. He hoped to find a bed for the night…Instead; he found a reason to hope. Since that first day in Los Angeles, Olamide has never returned to the streets. He entered Harbor Light’s drug rehabilitation program, graduated from it, and now works at Harbor Light as a peer counselor helping others find their way to better and more productive life.
        “I came to L.A. with a plan to just live hopelessly on the streets, doing whatever it took to feed my addiction.” Olamide recalls. “But I walked into a Salvation Army building right off the streets and not only was I given food and shelter, but I was introduced to a completely different way of living that I never thought was possible. I thank God for what He is doing through an organization like The Salvation Army.”