A house fire in 2017 set off a string of motel stays for Michael and his sons. The house could not be recovered, and assistance dried up quickly. Michael continued to work different jobs to make ends meet and often offered extra maintenance work at the motels where they stayed to reduce expenses. It was an exhausting and less-than-ideal way to raise a family.
After several years, Michael decided to make a change. Motivated to make a better life for his three sons (ages 5–8), Michael went to the Charlotte Area Fund, which helped him get his GED and enroll in training programs. There, he found out about Entryway and met with Charlotte Executive Director Jackie Campbell.
Jackie set him up with training specific to maintenance tech positions, and he counts those as some of the most productive hours he spent, refreshing the basics—especially pool maintenance. With a new and improved resume and industry knowledge, Jackie helped him connect to Entryway partners with open positions. Marsh Properties offered him a full-time maintenance position.
Our national partner, CORT, delivered furniture and household items to make his new apartment a home for his family: new beds for his sons, dressers, living room furniture, a dining table with chairs, and more. After the delivery, he said the best thing would be that evening when his sons returned home to their newly furnished apartment, predicting they would “explode” with happiness. Their own beds, their own sofa to sit on, and a dinner that could be prepared in a proper kitchen. With his new role at Marsh Properties, and the help of Entryway and CORT, Michael has found stability and is set up to succeed.
Congratulations, Michael!