Tristan was living on the streets. Leaving Ohio at the age of 21, he came to Arizona to learn more about his late father. He had been in and out of family’s and friend’s homes, but always asked to leave after unhealthy choices.
With no ID and no place to stay, Tristan arrived at the Human Service Campus where he obtained an ID from Homeless ID Project, a bed at CASS, and a referral to SJW from the Andre House. During his first few weeks at CASS, Tristan was assaulted by another client. However, being the person Tristan is, he didn’t hold any animosity towards him. Instead, he stayed focused on himself and bettering his living conditions. From the moment he came to campus, he made sure to hold on to hope.
Tristan came to SJW with a job in need of resources to keep that job and was quickly referred to the Employment Bridge team. They offered him a housing solution so he could work on saving money, bettering his credit, budgeting, and moving into his own apartment within 90 days. Tristan shared that he feels that he is here for a reason. His next goal is to pay off what he owes on his driver`s license and hopefully purchase a vehicle soon. Within the next few years, Tristan would like to be financially stable and ‘pay it forward’ to others who need assistance. Tristan said that SJW assisted him to the max!
When asked what he felt was a barrier to him obtaining employment and bettering his life, he simply said “himself.” We commend Tristan for his maturity and honesty with himself, and his focus on never losing hope. SJW is proud to serve clients like Tristan and collaborate with other organizations to serve mutual clients who tend to fall through the cracks, and simply need a ‘hand up’ to get on track to economic self-sufficiency. Together we can do so much more!
Thank YOU for making it possible for us to help “opportunity youth” like Tristan! Thank you for helping us Transform Lives through Employment!
