Fred came to the GOALS program ready to turn his life around. He was 52 years old, homeless, and had just been released from prison. He had spent more of his adult life in prison than out, and didn’t have much of a work history. After completing some initial assessments, his Career Navigator helped him get in touch with agencies such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and Compass Behavioral Health. Fred found a part-time, temporary job during the holiday season and even made it on the front page of his local newspaper. While going to an AA meeting, he met a man who rents to recovering addicts, and with the money he had earned working his temporary job, Fred was able to pay for a room. No longer homeless, Fred felt more stable and more hopeful, and he set out on his permanent job search with a new attitude. A few months in he got a call from one of the local beef plants asking if he could come in that day for an interview. Fred left the interview feeling confident, and later the same day the other beef plant called for an interview the following week! Fred started working in January. He is earning a living wage, receiving benefits, and is working on finding his own place. He says that so far, the job is going well and he expressed gratitude for the GOALS program and the other agencies that helped him get on his feet.
