Prince: Hunts Point, Bronx by Chris Arnade on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
In the awful weather, a windy cold rain, Prince was pulling an old air conditioner down the dark street. Homeless since being released from jail (two and half years for dealing), he spends the night collecting scrap metal and old pallets that he cashes in before sunrise. He uses the money mostly for heroin, an addiction that has landed him in prison three times.

From the Virgin Islands but raised in the Bronx, he is the oldest of seventeen children. He was molested by a neighbor as a child, something he is only now understanding.

Despite the weather and his condition, he was upbeat, polite, and engaging. When I asked him how he wanted to be described he said “Don’t just talk about the bad stuff. I graduated from High School and plan on finishing college.”

More from the Bronx here: The Bronx
More on Addiction: Faces of Addiction