Inspiring HOPE…Arthur’s story

The following article is courtesy of United Way of Central Indiana.  

Arthur had worked for the same company most of his life. The job paid the bills and he knew if he was loyal to his company, his company would be loyal to him. But when the recession hit, Arthur’s company had to make cuts. And, after 16 years of work, he was let go.

Uncertain of what to do, Arthur moved in with his mother, whose health was declining. Shortly after he moved in, his mother passed away. He was grieving and had been so busy caring for his mother, he hadn’t found a job. Broke and alone, Arthur was homeless for the first time in his life he began working with a temp agency, but the jobs didn’t pay much and the work was never guaranteed. Although he was working, it was never enough to get back on stable ground.

Then, Arthur found Horizon House, a United Way-supported agency. He came in to do his laundry and stayed for a job readiness class. Through the class, he learned skills to land a job – a full-time position at Amazon! He even secured an apartment close to work.

With a steady income and place of his own, Arthur couldn’t be more hopeful. “If you have a job, you have control over your life – you have independence,” he said. Arthur is finding opportunities to professionally develop within his new company, building a support system of new friends, saving money and, in his words, “’just work on getting myself right.’”