Jordan’s Journey from Homelessness to Hope

“With only one parent working, it was hard trying to put food on the table and pay bills,” Jordan said. With five siblings, his family moved frequently when he was growing up. “It was tough not having anything stable,” Jordan added.

“As soon as I turned 16, it became my priority to get a job to make money. School became a secondhand thought.” Jordan’s first job was a cashier and he slowly worked his way up. By his senior year he was working 40 hours a week. “My mom really wanted me to stay in school, but I felt like I was a self-made man and I didn’t have the drive to finish.”

The turning point came when Jordan watched his classmates graduate. “It was an accolade that I didn’t have. I realized that I might not be as accomplished as I thought I was... At that point I started to feel a little lost in where I should go in life,” Jordan said.

With the guidance of his brother and mom, Jordan joined Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota’s (GESMN) automotive training. He received hands-on industry training in a 5,600 sq. ft., 4-bay automotive facility, interactive online training with an instructor, career navigator and more. “[GESMN’s auto training] helped me with a lot of resources because at the time I didn’t have a lot of income,” Jordan explained.

The automotive training helped Jordan with support services, including assistance with setting up Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), gas and transportation cards.

“What sets Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota apart from many other training programs is a robust curriculum in a short amount of time to allow people to do something now and get working,” said Roxanne, GESMN workforce development manager.

The automotive training “gave me the confidence to walk into a shop and not worry about lifting cars or doing tire or oil changes because I’ve done it before,” Jordan said.

Jordan is now attending Saint Paul College to get certified as a master technician. “Three years ago, to now, it’s night and day,” added Jordan. “I started off homeless, no car and no real future career that I could rely on. Now, I have my own place, am more stable and paying all my bills. I have a kid on the way and because of the skills I learned at Goodwill, I can take care of him. I can give him the opportunities that I didn’t have. I can give him the love, support and everything he needs to get through life.”

GESMN offers nearly 20 career and training services to help people enter or advance in the workforce. Hear from Jordan himself how automotive training helped him reach his goals.