A few steps from the blues
One man’s journey into – and out of – homelessness
EditorÂ’s note: This is part two of a two-part series. In part one, former banker Cliff Grubbs finds himself with mounting health and financial issues that, coupled with a divorce, leave him homeless. Now Grubbs must adjust to his new life.
We are all just a few steps from the blues and I had stumbled those final steps. I was homeless.
Once again, blind luck and insufficient investigation had driven the decision to go to Union Gospel Mission. Although it was well established as the gold standard in caring for the homeless in Fort Worth, my new lifestyle nonetheless required an adjustment on my part. I cannot offer enough thanks to Don Shisler and the others there. Then again, I had become accustomed to five-star hotels.
The menÂ’s dormitory can be somewhat intimidating, particularly on first glimpse by anyone unfamiliar with such an environment. The set-up was temporary; the main dorm was recently rebuilt. Imagine one big room with an ocean of bunk-beds. Think of 150-plus men in a big room full of nothing but bunk beds.
There were issues, however. To call snoring an issue is to say Custer had a small problem at Little Big Horn. When you factor in a community bathroom and an open shower area, the space certainly won’t grade out as five-star accommodations. The Four Seasons need not worry about the competition, but Union Gospel Mission is clean, safe and climate-controlled. Admittedly, it takes some getting used to when dispensed “only the amount required” of toilet paper.
The blood-pressure medication and the anti-depressants began to kick in after about a month. On advice from both Union Gospel Mission and the Texas Workforce Commission, I resisted the temptation to get a survival job. My divorce and other factors left me with a credit score so low that I am lucky to be allowed to walk near a bank. Unless an unusual opportunity presents itself, I doubt I will ever have a checking account again – much less, work at a federally regulated institution. And I had to admit that all of the globetrotting had not been what it was cracked up to be. A career change was a given.
Once again, I found it better to be lucky than smart. This spring, I was allowed to enroll in a wonderful system for the homeless called the Visions Unlimited – a collaboration between Union Gospel Mission, Tarrant County College and Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County to provide homeless individuals with an opportunity to expand their education
The program also meets several key goals of the MayorÂ’s Commission on the Homeless. One of those key goals is that homelessness should be temporary, and not repeated. (Grubbs is currently on a list to get into more permanent housing.) These goals are accomplished in part by supplying the participants with something of value that can never be lost, stolen or taken away: an education.
The Visions Unlimited program enrolls individuals in two classes taught by the wonderful Cheryl Taylor-West. After completion of the two base classes, participants are guided into the general Tarrant County College population, with an approved degree program.
The Texas Workforce Commission provides books, supplies, transportation and other services that many people take for granted. For those of us who have fallen those few steps, books, supplies and transportation are difficult to secure. Maricela Jimenez, a career consultant at the Workforce Commission, provides many services and makes sure that everybody gets to class and that all have what they need to become successful.
The irreplaceable and effervescent Annie Dobbins, a multi-decade veteran of Tarrant County College, and her superiors make sure that the students are able to pay tuition. The funding portion is key because the students have backgrounds that do not necessarily fit programs designed for the average college student.
Foresight for Visions Program
After Visions students are in TCC, Dobbins makes sure that they remain eligible for financial aid. However, the program still needs a way to provide books and supplies after the first semester. Some students have been forced to take classes without the required textbook because no such funding was available. This is one area in which the Fort Worth business community could provide a minimal amount of support that could truly change the lives of the participants. Support at all levels from the business community is welcome – and needed.
An example of support from the local business community can be seen in the efforts of Rebecca Turner of Wealth Strategy Advisors and an author of books on marketing and customer loyalty.
Turner performs job-interview rehearsals, recorded on video, with the Visions students. The video is given to students to help them perform better in real-life job interviews. Turner also heads an annual clothing drive that supplies
the homeless with professional
attire, required for that all-important first interview.
At a recent reception for the Visions students, they announced the news that a program has been approved to provide housing for those who have completed the curriculum. Most of us can only imagine how difficult it must be to live – much less, attend school and study – in a homeless-shelter environment. Whether a student is staying at a shelter or sleeping under the stars, as I now find myself, the situation and chances for success can only improve dramatically if more traditional living arrangements are made available.
As far as a recruiting tool to interest the homeless in education, what better carrot than a way out of the homeless environment itself?
Stay in school, and stay out of the shelters and off the streets. Seems like a powerful incentive, and one that perfectly matches the goal of making the homeless experience temporary and not to be repeated. After all, if the truth be told, we are all just a few steps from the blues.
How one businesswoman got involved
in helping the homeless
Rebecca D. Turner, managing and founding partner of Wealth Strategy Advisors in Fort Worth, found herself involved with the Visions Unlimited program two years ago when she ran into some people who taught the class at Tarrant County CollegeÂ’s South Campus.
Turner, also an author of two books on customer service, provides tips to the class on how to have a successful formal interview.
“We talk about eye contact and body language, that sort of thing, along with a mock interview,” Turner said. “It’s sort of a pep talk as well.”
After learning that many of the students in the class did not have professional interview attire, Turner asked everyone at her firmÂ’s Christmas party to donate items from their closet they no longer wore.
“Everyone had some items to donate and a few were in the right size for people in the class, but the important thing is that they need those clothes to get them through the interview process,” she said.
Turner said teaching in the class is a chance for her to tell her story.
“I’m someone who’s done everything from loading freight to waitressing,” Turner said. “At some point I think we’ve all had someone in our life who sees more in you than you can see in yourself. I want to help them get to that point.”
She also said recent disasters, such as hurricanes Katrina and Ike, demonstrate that no one is immune from misfortune.
“I’m no different than any of them,” she said. “Look at all the recent catastrophes we’ve had and it’s clear, it could happen to any of us.”
– Robert Francis
