Success Stories

Donny’s Story: From Homeless to Lead Cook

By: Staci Wright When I was first introduced to Donny Hampton, I could tell that he was the kind of person I could sit and talk with all day long. So when he agreed to an interview with me, that is exactly what we did. Donny grew up in Miami, Florida and shared stories of his childhood, his love for his mother and his passion for cooking at the young age of 7. As he showed me a scar on his ankle, he explained the story behind it.

One of my favorite programs as a kid was The Wizard of Oz. Back then, it was a 4 hour program and when it would come on my mom would let me stay up late and watch it and she would go into the kitchen and make homemade fries. The next day, I decided I would try and make some fries just like my mama did. So, I get up and I put the grease on the stove and cut the potatoes while the grease was getting hot. I then take the fries out of the water and I drop them in the scalding hot grease and the entire kitchen caught fire. I got scared, so I grabbed the pan and I tried to carry the pan out the back door and some of the grease splattered on my arm and I dropped the pan on my foot.

After that incident, Donny’s mother showed him how to properly cook and maneuver his way around the kitchen. By the time Donny was 9 years old he was preparing the family meals. By 19, he was already a manager at TGI Fridays. He worked his way through restaurants until he opened up his own soul food restaurant in Decatur, GA in 1985. His successful restaurant business came crashing down in 1987 due to problems with substance abuse and he ended up losing everything he had worked so hard for. While telling this part of his story, Donny referred to 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." By 1991, things were looking up again. Donny got married and was working on maintaining a healthy marriage and being a supportive father to his three daughters: Tasha (from a previous relationship), Jahsiland and Natalie. As his marriage began to fall apart, though, so did he. By 2004, he was divorced and back on his destructive path of drugs and alcohol. Money was running low, jobs were difficult to obtain and he hopped from shelter to shelter. He recalled one terrifying night when he was hit in the head with a steel pipe, robbed, assaulted and hospitalized for 8 days. After being released from the hospital, Donny knew he couldn't go back to the streets because he wouldn't survive. Instead, he secured a bed in the Training and Support program at Gateway in August of 2013. He told me the story of his first meeting with his caseworker, Amanda VanDalen, explaining that,

…Once you find people who truly care about your success, you hang on to those people. You appreciate those people and you let them know in every way shape and form that you appreciate those people. We had a person who cared about us and that was motivation enough to do what I had to do.

Donny knew Amanda was someone who genuinely cared about him and his success, so he did not want to let her down. He was true to his word. Today, Donny is working as lead cook at the Peachtree Club and also as garde manger at the Sheraton Hotel. He has his own apartment and is enjoying decorating his place and getting in touch with his neighbors. “I’m so happy right now! I have my own place. I have my soberness and I’m looking forward to bettering myself in ways beyond simply having an apartment. I’m responsible for myself, I have responsibilities in my community and I have people I’m responsible to.” Since leaving Gateway, Donny has come back to visit and brought his family along for a tour; including two of his three daughters. “I wanted my kids to see what I had to go through to get back on the right track so they don’t make the same mistakes.” He wants his daughters to see him as a role model and someone to look up to and be proud of. “What I learned is to depend more on me and my skills and also to accept help from others. Help doesn't mean that you are handicapped, help means that you are getting fresh eyes; eyes with experience.” He concludes by quoting Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Second Chances: James’ Story

By Staci Wright When I first met James Kinard he was 15 minutes early to our meeting and he was alive with energy and soul - even at 8:45 a.m. He had just graduated from Atlanta Area Tech College on May 17 for Heating and Air-Conditioning. I could tell he was so proud and I could not wait to find out more about him. James is originally from a small town in South Carolina where the opportunities were slim. He was going to school for aviation maintenance, as well as working, but he could not seem to escape trouble. He was involved with selling drugs, fighting and shoot-outs, and found himself in and out of jail. He said it felt like he was “…always taking one step forward and being pushed two steps back.” It was not until his mother, Brenda, suffered from a stroke that James decided to turn his life around. He and his mother moved to Atlanta so she could obtain better health care and he could have access to better opportunities. His mother was doing well until Thanksgiving morning when she endured another stroke. Her doctors thought she might not make it but James said his mother was a fighter, and she kept pushing and she kept holding on. James became his mother’s full-time caregiver, even though it was very hard for him to see her suffer. James stuck by his mother’s side until she passed away in 2011. While caring for his mother, his girlfriend at the time was pregnant with their first baby, which she later lost due to a miscarriage. "You know it really hurt me when she lost the baby, then my mother passed away and then my girlfriend broke up with me, then my grandmother passed away," said James. "I lost my job, my apartment, contemplated suicide and broke down and cried and asked God to help me.” James tried to get back on the right track and decided to go back to school for heating and air and held a steady job at a warehouse. When the warehouse shifted to 12 hour work shifts that did not work with his school schedule, he made the tough decision to stick with his education and find an employer willing to work around his school schedule. Though, finding a new job proved to be much more difficult than he imagined and he eventually found himself without an apartment and out of unemployment funds. “I wound up staying with this person and that person, slept in a few people’s cars, went to the airport to sleep and was bouncing back and forth from place to place.” When one place did not work out, he found himself at Gateway Center in March and said it was the best thing he ever did. During his time in the Employment Program, James has held two jobs and was able to continue with his education. “I just kept praying and pushing and before I knew it, graduation day came.” Since being at Gateway, James has saved up enough money to get his driver’s license back, paid all his probation fees, got off probation, acquired affordable health insurance, saved up enough money for a car and is in the process of getting his record expunged. He says “…things are looking up.” His next step is to find a stable place to live that he can call his own and he will begin an apprenticeship program next month in his field. When asked what he has learned through his life experiences, James answers, “One thing I’ve learned is the whole aspect of being humble. Just be humble." In closing, James left me with this final statement. “I just thank God for everything. Anybody out there that’s going through anything, no matter how bad you think it is, just know that God is with you and he always gives you multiple chances. It’s not always as bad as you think it is; a rainbow is coming!” Thank you, James, for sharing your story with me and to the rest of the world.

Road to Success

Zach’s Story

By Emily Emshoff We are happy to be sharing the success story of Zachary Leach, a previous client at the Gateway Center who was a part of the Veteran's Program and is now stably housed and self-sufficient. Zachary Leach came from Philadelphia to Atlanta in 2009 with the hopes of finding a job as a longshoreman in Savannah, Georgia. When his plans began to veer off course he found himself living in Atlanta longer than planned, with no job and no income. Zach began to live off his unemployment benefits, which lasted for two years. As his source of income began to dwindle, he found himself going down a path that was leading to a life he had never imagined for himself. “I never thought I had a drinking problem. I knew I had a drug problem, but I had stopped doing drugs in 1989. Turns out, I was substituting one drug for another when I turned to alcohol.” After living in an apartment for four months for free, the landlord told him he either had to start paying or leave. “I ended up staying in an abandoned house nearby. My depression set in, and I began to drink more heavily.” After taking advice from one of his friends, Zachary visited the Veteran’s Administration. He told them he was experiencing homelessness and an alcoholic. After visiting a few different shelters, he was referred to the Gateway Center in April 2013 and joined the Veteran's Program. “From the day I walked in the door at Gateway, I did everything they asked of me. I worked hard and eventually became a Residential Assistant. I finally had options for my life.” Zachary began attending school at Cutting Edge and became a certified barber and cosmetologist. After being an RA for seven months, Zach is now self-sufficient. He will be starting his new job as a barber, and he is in the process of moving into a two-bedroom condo downtown. He has also been sober for 11 months. “I can honestly say that Gateway has given me a great life. I no longer smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol; I don’t even eat red meat!” After living on his own for six months, Zach plans to return to Gateway and volunteer. He wants to help people who are in the situation he was once in. Zach says coming to the Gateway Center was the best decision he has ever made. “If you want a new beginning, start here.”

Antyon’s Story

(Pictured above: Antyon's townhouse. He now has a place that he can call home.) By Jason Tatum I had a great conversation with a former resident of the Gateway Center earlier today. I asked him about his life, his experiences, and where he’s been, but I did not find him eager to dwell on the past. His story, as far as he is concerned, began the day he got out of prison. The day Antyon left prison, he had nowhere to go. He lacked money, a place to live, and family or friends to fall back on for support. He was without a lot at that point, but what he did have was a desire to make his life matter. Antyon knew that he needed work and he needed it fast. “I just got out there immediately and applied to everything I could find,” he told me. “I was willing to work right away so I got going on the hunt. It took me two days to find employment.” Antyon had spent just three days in a nightly shelter when a staff person at that facility told him about the Employment program here at Gateway Center. He made his way over to Pryor St. where he made a new friend and mentor in Christie Peters, one of our case managers on the third floor. “Ms. Peters gave me the tools I needed to reach self-sufficiency,” Antyon related to me. “I learned how to budget my money, save, and plan for the future.” Within 6 months of leaving jail and having literally nothing, Antyon was ready to move into an apartment of his own, paid for by his own hard work and dedication. Antyon enjoys the work he is doing at the moving company where he is employed, but he has his eyes on the future. “I’ve got a cool place and I’m in a good spot, but I know what I want to do with my life. My dream is to get a degree in Human Services so that I can counsel others and give back. I want to impact others and help change lives.” I asked Antyon what he thought about his experience with homelessness and being in one of Gateway’s programs. “I would recommend the center to anyone. Gateway Center has so many resources that were really helpful. They had the Department of Labor office right there in the building. They had a computer lab that was great. They even helped me get furniture. Anyone who needs help shouldn't hesitate to go.” Antyon has been living self-sufficiently for about two months. The job is going well and the apartment is becoming a home, but perhaps the best news he had, the thing that was the most exciting to him overall, was that he was now taking online classes towards that degree: that dream of helping others. --- Last year thousands of people stayed at Gateway Center in their journey towards self-sufficiency and out of homelessness. $10 provides meals for a day for one client. Every dollar counts. Make a donation today.

Jerome’s Story

By Emily Emshoff We are happy to be sharing the success story of Jerome Lucas, a previous client at Gateway Center who was a part of the Life Changers Program and is now stably housed and self-sufficient. In 2012 Jerome had a job working at a restaurant, and things were going well. When he unexpectedly lost his job and was denied unemployment benefits, he found himself with nothing, and nowhere to turn. “It was so much stress. Everything started to pile up on me.” Jerome unfortunately suffered a stroke on Mother’s Day and was desperately in need of assistance. His daughter brought him to Gateway at a point when he was not even able to walk. “I met Vince Smith (Executive Director at Gateway Center) and he ended up being my best friend. He got me a walking cane.” Jerome became a part of the Life Changers program where he worked closely with several case managers as he healed and worked to turn his life around. When he arrived at Gateway, he had no income, and his Social Security benefits were pending. After working with case managers, he was awarded his Social Security benefits and was then eligible for an income-based senior living apartment. After completing the Life Changers program, Jerome was able to apply for an apartment, was accepted and moved into housing. One of our case managers was kind enough to give Jerome a TV and a chair as a start to furnish his new home. “It was nice to realize the apartment and the stuff in it was all mine, and nobody could take it from me. I couldn't get put out.” Jerome says the biggest lesson he learned was that when you are going through hard times, you have to keep your head up and some good will come along; you will meet some good people. “If it wasn’t for Gateway, I wouldn’t even be here. Nobody else cared as much as they do at Gateway.” Last year over 4,400 unique persons stayed at Gateway Center in their journey towards self-sufficiency and out of homelessness. $10 provides meals for a day for one client. Every dollar counts. Make a donation today.

Profiles in Change: Meet Emmanuel

Local Mobility: Chris’ Story

By: Molly Chris and I were scheduled to meet at 3:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. I arrived at his dorm on the second floor a few moments early and one of the case managers gave him a ring on his cell phone to let him know that I had arrived for our interview. I sat in the Recuperative Care unit, admiring the health facts and client artwork hanging on the walls for a few moments until Chris came rushing in the door. “I’m so sorry I am late- I ran here from the library…I guess you can tell since I am sweating!” Chris apologized. I, of course, was not offended in the least bit at his tardiness. I would soon find out that running back to Gateway from the local library was no small feat, and, had I met Chris a few months ago, running would not have been an option. In 2011, Chris was diagnosed with a severe neuromuscular disorder called Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to produce antibodies that block the muscle cells from receiving messages from the nerve cell…in other words, movement and muscle control are difficult if not impossible. When Chris was diagnosed a few years ago, he was living independently. Not too long after his diagnosis Chris was notified that his landlord had not been making proper payments, and that the house where he was renting a room was being foreclosed. Chris moved in with his uncle, but his health prevented him from work and it soon became evident that he needed medical intervention.

After a stint in the Grady emergency room, Chris was discharged onto the street with no housing options that would suit his physical state. After a few months of living in shelters and hopping from relative to relative, he knew he needed a long term solution so that he could gain control over his diagnosis and live a functional life. In the late fall of 2012, after having exhausted all of his family connections and options for short term shelter, Chris was finally referred to the Gateway Center Recuperative Care program. Thanks to the caring and extensively talented staff from Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care, Chris is now more mobile than ever, and no longer worries about where he will eat or sleep each day. Chris has been with us at Gateway now for four months, and can’t contain his joy when he talks about how far he has come. “I was at the library looking at apartment applications all morning, and time just slipped away from me!” he exclaimed, still apologizing for being late. I just couldn’t stop smiling as Chris told me about his apartment search. Just four months ago, he could hardly walk, and now he is running all around town, preparing to move into self-sufficiency with the support of a whole community of social and medical workers. Chris is the physical manifestation of so many client stories at the Gateway Center. When folks walk through our doors for the first time, they are hurting, some can hardly walk upright. We strive to be a place of healing and empowerment; and not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. My hope for all of our clients is that they can not only get back on their feet with the help of our programs, but that they can all get to the point where they can hit the ground running!

Congrats, Russell!

Many of your know Russell's story and have been touched by his life, whether you are a volunteer at Gateway, have heard him speak with the Speakers' Bureau, or work with him as Gateway Staff. We want to share an exciting new development is Russell's life! Russell was recently certified as a Peer Specialist, and we are proud to announce that Gateway has hired Russell to work with our PATH tem in doing outreach to clients with mental health issues and/or clients who struggle with substance abuse. We are so proud to call Russell a part of the Gateway Center team! Below is an excerpt from an email thast one of our partners, Back on My Feet, sent out to their members...you can see how lovely it is to work with Russell and how many lives he has touched through these words: "Hi Everyone! We hope you are all having a wonderful week. It is always so amazing to see members moving forward. You may have seen this post on Facebook, but I’d like to share again how proud we are of Russell Thurman, one of our Residential Members from Team Gateway. If you have ever run with Team Gateway or have ever been to an event with Russell present, you have likely been lucky enough to see his smiling face. Russell’s enthusiasm is simply infectious. Russell recently completed a two week training to become a Peer Specialist, which is a mentoring/counseling position for individuals with dual diagnoses (mental health and substance abuse). He has been hired as a Peer Specialist for the Gateway Center, and through this opportunity Russell will be able to serve and inspire so many other people. We are SO PROUD of this tremendous accomplishment!!"

Barry’s Story

One of our clients, Barry, shares his story in his own words: I was born in rural West Central Ohio- about half way between Toledo and Dayton. We lived so far out in the country; we had to truck in sunshine. I had a typical childhood…everyone in the family was dysfunctional. After high school I continued my education at Ohio Northern University, one of the most prestigious private universities in the Midwest. In 1972, one month after I turned 21, I passed my state boards and because one of the youngest licensed realtors in Ohio. I was fortunate to have a great mentor and I was well on my way- my future was assured. I only associated with other salesmen who were more successful than i- I wanted to know what they knew and do what they did. I emulated their work habits and I mimicked their social activities- and that included the consumption of alcohol. In 1976, I left real estate to pursue my sales career in other areas….and my drinking increased. From time to time, my family and close friends suggested that I might have a drinking problem. No way, not me. I know how to drink just fine! Besides, no matter how much I had to drink the night before, I was always at work the next day and I got the job done. Time passed and things became worse. My drinking increased and minor indiscretions became major problems. Problems bosses could no longer ignore. Appropriate action needed to be taken, first came the verbal warnings, then the written reprimands, and, finally, the terminations. Each job loss brought a new pledge to stop drinking. A period of sobriety, a new job, and life became good again. It was easy for me to believe this qualified me to drink normally. I resumed drinking, and for a while I was okay…but soon I was drinking as much as ever and eventually I was unable to hold a job. In 1772, I thought my future had been assured. By 2000, I had become a hopeless, helpless, homeless alcoholic. On December 23^rd, 2010, I entered the treatment/ recovery program at the Gateway Center. Like rekindling a fire, the case managers at Gateway gave proper guidance patience and love to rekindle a glimmer of hope within me. My goal every day is to keep my fire of recovery burning. As I get older, I dream of leaving the world a better place. If I affect the life of just one other person in a positive way, I will have made a difference!

Meet Chris

Ernesto: Homeward Bound

Today's post is from our Volunteer Coordinator, Bec Cranford. She recalls one fo the first clients she heped translate for at the Gateway Center: With a trash bag of belongings in one hand, and his cane holding his balance in the other Ernesto inched through the doors of the Gateway. The elderly man spoke little English, did not possess identification, and could not remember much about the past few weeks. He sat quietly in our client engagement center waiting to get a place to rest for the evening. Tears rolled down his leathered face. Ernesto could not remember where he resided before his arrival to Atlanta. He could not even recall how he got to Gateway, sometimes thinking he was currently in Miami or Charlotte. He suffered a major head injury as a result of a work related fall. He said his coworkers left him for dead. Caseworkers, coordinators, and partner agencies worked around the clock to help Ernesto. He would remember bits and pieces of his story occasionally and share them with anyone who would listen. It was very difficult to track down family or friends, but he remained confident that we could help him. Each day, Gateway would spend time with him double checking parts of his story and looking for leads to locate his family. We called hospitals, police stations, and post offices. Everything appeared to be a dead end. He never lost hope. He smiled at everyone with tenderness and called us “hermenitas” or “hermanos.” We really believed he meant it. He knew we were his brothers and little sisters, and that we could get him assistance. We worked with translators and specialists. We partnered with many agencies. One day he recalled the name of a hotel where he had stayed during an extended work project in Charlotte. We searched the internet for hours. We located something similar, and called the number listed. They had no record of his stay. We thought it was another setback. We told him about Charlotte. Ernesto appeared to jump if not for his cane tying him to the ground when we expressed the possibility of returning to Charlotte. Our directors and case managers worked tirelessly to fill in the missing pieces. Ernesto leaned on his cane and on my shoulder as we walked out to the bus stop one day. He suddenly recalled a name. The news became the breakthrough we needed. Now we had a name and a potential address. Our C.O.O. made calls to an agency in Charlotte who agreed to house Ernesto while he located his family. Every time we mentioned Charlotte to Ernesto he would grin from ear to ear and ask me, “When can I go home?” We were able to get Ernesto back to his precious Charlotte; a place where he could receive healthcare, a place where he had community, and a place where hope glimmered. He was slowly recalling his friends, family, church community and the time period before his accident. He regained some mobility in his arm, and his eyes seemed to hold new light. Ernesto gathered his belongings and boarded the Greyhound to Charlotte, thanks to the efforts of Gateway. He smiled from his window and say “Gracias, Hermanos.”

Russell’s Story

As featured in our August newsletter; here is Russell's story of success! Russell spent most of his adult life as a successful working man with a beautiful family. One day, however, he was introduced to cocaine. At first, he thought he could stop at any time. Then suddenly, his paycheck would go directly to support a weekend binge. His wife and children felt alienated. Cocaine enchanted him and became his priority over work, family and everything else. Soon, Russell found himself sleeping under bridges and in abandoned buildings- driven from his family and employment by his addiction. It wasn’t too long before Russell hit rock bottom. After deciding that he was ready to end his addiction and homelessness, Russell came to the Gateway Center. He committed to a life of clarity and sobriety and began encouraging other men to do the same. Staff at Gateway quickly recognized Russell's leadership abilities and invited him to be a part of the Resident Assistant program. Russell continues to serve Gateway as a Resident Assistant in the Veterans’ Program on the fourth floor of the Gateway Center. He has reconciled with his family, and was able to see his daughter graduate from law school this past spring. Russell is now highly involved in his children's lives and now has a beautiful grandbaby who he gets to see regularly. He is a deacon in his church and also a member of the Back on My Feet running team at Gateway. Russell believes his faith and his support network through Gateway, and other agencies helped him to change directions in his life. Russell is currently attending a training to become a certified Peer Specialist and has the goal of working in social services.

Reggie’s Story

Reggie Miller's two teen boys and his 3-year-old daughter have kept him going over the past few months, which have been among the toughest in his entire life. Reggie, 47, worked and lived on-site as the maintenance man at an apartment complex near downtown Atlanta. He was proud of his work ethic, and says he often took the initiative to make small repairs or respond to a resident's request – even in the middle of the night. So when he was called into the office one Friday, he was shocked to learn he was being fired due to the worsening economic climate. His savings quickly dwindled, and Reggie soon found himself homeless. He was stunned. "This was my first time on the streets," he recalls. "I never thought I'd be in that position. It was tough just to find a place to use the restroom or wash my face." "You feel like a nobody. When it's raining, you have to get under a bridge. You get sick. It's cold out. There's no medicine. It gets to you." For several days, he went hungry. "I was too proud to go into a soup line," he says. "You're so ashamed. You don't want your friends or anyone to know what's going on." In January 2009, after three months on the street, Reggie was able to register at the Gateway Center. Reggie was happy to be off the streets, but he was wary about life in the center. On the street, he had to keep his guard up. At the Gateway, he worried about living with total strangers and not getting meals when he wanted them. He wasn't sure how he'd relate to the staff or how they'd react to him. After a few weeks, though, Reggie found that he wanted to return the kindness he received from those he encountered at the Gateway. "If I'm eating a meal, I walk around to make sure everyone else has their tray, too," Reggie says. Reggie spends time every day in the Training Program Center on the 3rd floor of the Gateway Center. There he looks for jobs that match his skill set. He immediately flags anything regarding maintenance work, but he's also scanning for warehouse opportunities. In the long term, he wants to get an HVAC license and get back to using his hands. "When I was working, I was dependable," Reggie says. He also schedules regular visits with his children. "They're what keeps me going," he says. "I want to reunite with my family. I miss waking up in the night and seeing my daughter and sons. I know somewhere, somehow, this is going to happen."