Losing someone you love is very hard and can cause deep sadness or lead a person to lose motivation for life. That’s what was happening in Brandon’s life. He was struggling with depression after losing his sister to suicide. Without her, he felt confused and abandoned. They had been living together when she passed away, and he felt like his world fell apart.
He was lost without her, and on top of his grief, he was facing homelessness. Without his sister there to help, he didn’t know how things would ever work out. But then, he found out he could get help from Goodwill.
Through the Foundational Community Supports program, Goodwill staff provided information, resources, and encouragement to help him gain independence. His case manager offered steady support, helping him believe that he could be self-sufficient and rebuild his life. With guidance, he began to find hope again and the courage to move forward.
Today, he feels proud of himself and how far he’s come. With Goodwill’s help, he’s now living on his own. “I have my own place; this is my apartment,” Brandon said with a smile. Sometimes the feeling is overwhelming, but he reminds himself that he’s finally where he’s always wanted to be: “I am happy, I feel secure, and I feel independent and safe. I am just proud.”
Even his favorite color, pink, shows up in his new home. He was able to get a pink computer chair, which he proudly picked out for himself. He said, “Goodwill helped me to help myself and to utilize the resources given to me and take everything that I have been forced to endure and look at them as steppingstones instead of stumbling blocks.”
Without the help from Goodwill’s program, Brandon feels that his life would be more uncertain. “I would still live in the belief that I was not capable of being self-sufficient, independent, or living on my own as an adult.” But now, he feels happy, and knows that his sister would want him to find his own way, saying, “I’m sure she thanks Goodwill from above as well.
Brandon shares his story to encourage others who are in need like he was, that they are capable to find change for their lives – sometimes it just takes the right resources and encouragement.