Colin Farrell's homeless friend says he's found God and yoga, but not yet a permanent home

Colin Farrell's homeless friend says he's found God and yoga, but not yet a permanent home

The homeless man famously saved from the streets by actor Colin Farrell during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival says he still doesn’t have a home, but he’s sober, has found God and is starting to do yoga.
David Woods, 51, was swept off the street in September by Mr. Farrell, who gave him a $2,000 shopping spree as well as $1,000 in cash. The story made international headlines, but Mr. Woods — known as ‘‘Stress’’ on the streets — avoided reporters looking for his side of the story.
This morning, dressed in the clothes Mr. Farrell bought him, Mr. Woods (pictured above) told the National Post the opportunity has allowed him to turn his life around.
“Colin was the reason things have turned around for me. He’s a great guy, an amazing guy actually,” said Mr. Woods, now clean-shaven and insisting he has been sober since that September encounter.
“He wanted to give me money to get a place, he offered me $40,000, but I said no. I have a problem and the first step is admitting it. Colin knows that too. Step one is honesty. We say that to each other. Money doesn’t help.”
Mr. Woods said reports he received wads of cash from Mr. Farrell were untrue: He was given $1,000, of which more than $600 he spent buying food for other Toronto homeless people, he said. With the rest he bought a bike, new shoes and a cell phone.
He also plans to get a membership at a local YMCA to participate in yoga classes — a new interest of his.
Mr. Woods sketches his new life as a sunny one: Now a daily churchgoer, he is living in a Toronto shelter that offers addiction counselling and programs designed to get the homeless off the street. Mr. Woods said he has begun efforts to reclaim his monthly $800 disability cheque, which would allow him to pay rent. ( He said he hasn’t even collected his disability cheque for over a year, in fear he would spend it on drugs.)
If there are skeptics, they don’t include Brian, a homeless person who said he has known Mr. Woods for nearly a decade. He said Mr. Woods is an inspiration to Toronto homeless people.
“He’s doing very well right now. He’s actually been sober, he’s in AA and is working hard to get on his feet,” he said. “Colin Farrell really helped him out. And what [David] has done with the help is an inspiration to us.”
Yesterday over coffee at a downtown coffee shop, Mr. Woods unfolded a church bulletin, smiling ear to ear, revealing a scrap of paper, tarnished brown and worn, but still legible.
“This is Colin Farrell’s sister’s e-mail address,” said Mr. Woods. “He gave it to me at the shopping spree so I could keep in touch. I can’t wait to send him a photo of me with a huge smile on my face at my own place. I’m going to e-mail that right away.”
Mr. Woods said the two really relate to each other, having similar addiction problems.
In December, 2005, Mr. Farrell voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation treatment centre for addictions to recreational drugs and painkillers. He has also publicly acknowledged an earlier episode of depression.
“Colin told me about his alcoholism, but he’s turned it around. His son James is his inspiration,” he said. “He told me about his problems when he was about 17, that he was actually lying in gutters, he was down.”
Mr. Woods grew up in Toronto and was a product of a broken marriage betweem two parents who “had their own problems.” He fell into a depression and at the age of 15, left home for a group home, first starting to use marijuana then moving to hash, crack cocaine and eventually selling drugs.
Four years ago, Mr. Woods first met Mr. Farrell after a radio host offered $2,000 to anyone who could bring Mr. Farrell to the studio. The actor heard the request, found the first homeless person he saw, who happened to be Mr. Woods, and got him the money.
Mr. Woods admitted he blew that money. But he got a second chance with Mr. Farrell at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and said he won’t waste it.
“I was just walking that one day along outside the ROM and I had almost given up hope,” said Mr. Woods. “There was a media crowd that said Colin was there, so I asked him to sign a homeless newspaper. He said ‘Dave, it’s you!’ and he told me to get in the van. He remembered.”
“I’m proving to him now that I can get back up.”
— Story and photo by Adam Huras