Kendrick, 23, was referred to us by Friends of Island Academy. He had had a full-time job, but had been remanded to jail because he had missed an appointment with his probation officer. When he got out, discouraged, he hadn’t gotten a job. Instead he had moved into a shelter room with a girlfriend. The girlfriend had a baby (Kendrick was not the father), and agreed to let Kendrick stay with her as long as he took care of the baby. This was clearly a short-term fix as it prevented Kendrick from getting a job. To eat, the three begged for money near the subway stop.

When we met Kendrick, we asked him what his goals were. His first was to get out of his current living situation. Together we worked out the steps necessary for him to move. One week later, he had reconnected with his aunt and was living with her. The house was over two hours away from Manhattan, but the freedom to look for a job improved his life immediately.

Kendrick’s next goal was to get a job. After practicing our principles of dressing well, speaking well and showing up early for two weeks straight, Kendrick got a job interview as a warehouse stockboy at Century 21. He went on the interview, and got the job!

Kendrick’s next goal was to get a driver’s license. He had never driven a car before, so we arranged for him a 5-hour behind-the-wheel driving class. The recommended length of training for a brand-new driver is 30 hours . But that is 6 times as costly. Kendrick took the 5 hour course, soaked up every bit of knowledge he could, and then took the DMV road test. He passed!!

Kendrick next set his sights on a Commercial Driving License (CDL), as bus and truck drivers can make well above minimum wage. Kendrick is currently studying to pass the CDL permit test. Once he does, he will begin the CDL training program. Given Kendrick’s recent track record of success, we have no doubt that he will achieve this goal as well.