Andre's Story
Andre spent much of his young life depending on himself and a group of friends who didn’t always make the best decisions. “At this point in my life, a lot of my friends have either been shot, or locked up, or they’re dead,” he says. “I just always wanted to be more than that.”
His dreams for the future have meant that Andre has held at least one job all the time since he was 16. “It’s important to have a job, it builds you up and it builds your network. I don’t always love what I’m doing, I don’t love having two jobs, but I don’t complain about it. I know it’s going to take me to the next level.”
Through Epworth, Andre found safety at the Drop-In Center as well as education about how to plan for the future. As a young adult, he has been supported and guided by Epworth’s wrap-around services through the Intrada program. Here, he’s been helped with opening a bank account, learned the discipline–and payoff–of saving his money, and was connected to a financial advisor to help him plan for all his big dreams. Through a partnership with Harris Stowe State University, Andre achieved a certification in information technology. “If it wasn’t for Intrada, who knows where I’d be,” he says. “There was a time when I didn’t see the hope, but I always knew there was hope.”
“I’m thankful for what I went through. Should any kid go through that? No, but since I did, I'm glad I was able to come through it."
Andre
But more than a place of his own, a full time job, or even a new car, the biggest dream Andre has is to help another kid like himself. “My number one thing is to give back to someone. I want to give them some of the things I got at Epworth that weren’t given to me by my family. You gotta have that drive, and look at the bigger picture.”
