When Mickey Hollinquest walked into Boulevard Place Food Pantry three years ago, he had no idea how much his life would change.
He read about SVdP’s Changing Lives Forever (CLF) program and decided he wanted to take part. He was ready to get his life together. He’d been struggling to find a job, was living at home and not feeling like he was contributing.
Along with his best friend, he joined the next CLF session. “I took it very seriously because I wanted to change my life,” says Mickey. “I began setting goals for myself and learning skills to help me deal with the real world.”
Mickey says some of the most useful skills he learned was how to budget and save money, as well as how to communicate with people.
Accomplishing One Goal at a Time
He graduated in January 2018 and wasted no time getting started! Paired with a mentor, Mike, he began working toward his first goal: getting his driver’s license. Mickey says Mike inspired him to never give up and keep striving toward his goals.
He also worked on another goal: getting a steady job. And three months after his CLF graduation, he was hired as a part-time janitor at Mission 27 Resale. “I was told that they liked how I came off professionally during the interview—that was because of what I learned in CLF,” explains Mickey.
Mickey gave his job his all and was promoted to a full-time position later that year.
And all the while, he was focused on another goal: getting his own car. Initially, Mickey took the bus to work so he could save money. When he finally saved enough, he bought his first car. “It was the best feeling in the world, knowing you worked hard for something and earned it on your own. It makes you feel good,” he shares.
The goals continued—next up was finding his own place. He accomplished that as well.
The Future is Bright
Today, his job responsibilities at Mission 27 have expanded. “I do just about everything except cashier,” he says. He drives the truck, operates the forklift, helps with janitorial duties and generally pitches in wherever needed.
And he loves every minute of it. “I love my job. It’s the best job because it’s full of friendly people who are like family,” says Mickey.
And in typical Mickey fashion, he’s got his eyes on his next goal: buying a house. We have confidence Mickey will reach that goal, too.
