On a beautiful fall day in Boston, with a bright smile on his face, the black sling around Ja'Whaun Bentley's shoulder would be the only indication that his current circumstances were less than ideal.

The New England Patriots linebacker was placed on injured reserve after just the second week of the season with no timetable for a return in 2024. Yet, the defensive captain has remained local to be around his team and honored his commitment to visit the Pine Street Inn on Tuesday with the Patriots Foundation and his teammates.

Dealing with a torn pectoral muscle is nothing compared to the real adversity he faced in his formative teenage years.

"I was homeless for a little bit throughout my high school years and a little into my college career, so (I wanted to just) just be able to reach out and touch these people to let them know there's a light at the end of the tunnel," Bentley said.

"They're not alone. We see them. We acknowledge them. Anytime we get a chance, I'm going to come out here and show our faces to be of any help we can. I appreciate the Patriots for letting us be part of something special like this as well. As we say, we're doing something for them, but they're doing something for us, too. It's powerful."

Bentley and his family's struggle with homelessness has been well documented, and since he was drafted by the Patriots in 2018, he's developed a close relationship with Pine Street Inn -- New England's leading provider of housing, shelter, street outreach and job training to the region's unhoused population.

To raise awareness about World Homeless Day on Oct. 10, the Bentley was joined Tuesday by DeMario Douglas, Cole Strange, Antonio Gibson, Michael Jordan, Liam Fornadel, Terrell Jennings, and Matt Landers to pack hygiene kits, distribute Empowerment coats and winter hats, and serve coffee and breakfast to guests of the shelter.

"Pine Street is definitely a safe haven," Bentley said.

"I like being close-knit with these folks, whether it be giving away coats, food, going out at night in the cold, keeping everybody warm, raising money for foundations and charities -- everything they do is it serves a purpose and it's powerful. That's something that I needed growing up, and I know that everybody else in these situations, you have those tough days where you're trying to find a little kick to kind of just move forward. Just being able to see how many people have a hand in the pot who are trying to get the same job done is powerful and it's meaningful to a lot of people."

Bentley's unique background has given him a powerful perspective with his work in the community.

He hopes his story can help guests at Pine Street and others find that motivation and support to better their situations, and he quite literally wears that symbolism on his chest.

"I wear this necklace with (a photo of) my parents around my neck because they kept our family so tight during that time and if anything, we became closer during those hard times," Bentley said, showing off the chain and pendant with a photo of his parents Darnell and Brenda.

"Kudos to my parents because they did a fantastic job of seeing it through, doing their best to let me and my brother still be kids during that time. You would have never thought that we were going through what we were going through just because of how tough we were and we always knew that it was better days ahead. That was something that we lived by. Most of the time, people don't know how to put it into words, and I'm able to do that and let people know that they're not alone and that I too have been in that situation and I got to the other side. No matter how hard life gets, you'll always see it through. Being able to wear my parents' photo around my neck and show everybody why I'm here today is special. The strength I have is because of these two people as well as the grace of God."

As the Patriots and Pine Street Inn hoped to show guests of the shelter, sometimes that grace it all it takes to turn things around.