Meet Philip...

Philip with his book collection “One night I couldn’t take it anymore; I took an overdose of pills.” Philip Riley sat at his desk, neatly stacked with papers and books. Behind him, a large bookcase is filled with paperback books.

Philip is a resident of Desert Vista, ECS’ permanent housing program in the Coachella Valley. Philip came to ECS after an unsuccessful attempt at suicide landed him in a local hospital. Upon discharge from the hospital, Philip found himself homeless and hopeless.

Life wasn’t always so bleak for Philip, who was raised on the East Coast. While in his teens he joined a rock band and came to California, where he met – and partied – with some of the generation’s most famous musicians.

Philip eventually settled down, married and raised a family. He grew his collection of classic horror comics and sought shooting scripts of his favorite movies, such as the original “Phantom of the Opera” and “Frankenstein.” While browsing a local comic book store, Philip ran into one of his former Hollywood contacts, who encouraged him to turn his hobby into a profession.

Heeding his friend’s advice, Philip turned his attention to researching classic horror films. He editorialized original shooting scripts and provided commentary on early manuscripts of others. Philip quickly gained popularity in the horror film genre, authoring over a dozen books in a decade.

Philip with program manager Chuck Johnson Unfortunately, Philip’s personal life was a stark contrast to his professional successes. Detached from his wife and children, Philip fell in and out of depression spanning several years. He cut off communication with everyone he knew and eventually stopped writing. “I had nothing going for me anymore. The one thing I was passionate about was writing, and even that didn’t interest me.”

Alone, depressed and desperate, Philip thought his only option was to end his own life. When his attempt was unsuccessful, Philip faced another challenge: how he was going to pick up his life where he left off. “I didn’t know where I was going to live,” Philip says, looking down at his hands, wringing them and inspecting his fingernails before adding, “I thought I was going to die alone. On the streets. I had no where else to go.”

Always the resourceful researcher, Philip thumbed through the phone book, determined to find help and improve his life. Philip estimates making 30-40 calls to various agencies before finding one that was able and willing to help – ECS.

ECS caseworkers met with Philip, assessed his needs and determined his eligibility to move into Desert Vista. The program provides supportive housing for homeless, disabled adults for an indefinite period. A vacancy opened and Philip moved into a furnished one-bedroom unit a few weeks after first coming to ECS.

“After I got settled I started to feel like myself again. I even started writing again. Now I have a contract to write six more books. I never thought that would happen again. I thought for sure my life was over. It’s like I have a whole new beginning!” Philip exclaimed, pointing to the books on his bookshelf. “I’m me again.”

“ECS helped me when no one else would. And I’ll never forget that, ever.”

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*Client identities have been changed for privacy.