Success Story: Matthew C.
When you first meet Matthew, you would never believe the tremendous curveballs life has thrown at him. Over the course of 10 years Matthew has experienced unimaginable loss, addiction, homelessness, and justice involvement – yet his gratitude and joy are contagious. “I want to tell my story – all of it, to help others,” he says with a smile.
For years Matthew worked in construction, specifically building scaffolding. After meeting a few people on a job site, he was introduced to drugs, and quickly found himself in addiction. During this time, he was in and out of jail, struggling to keep a job, and had lost his parents. Shortly after being released from jail for the third time, Matthew’s son was born, and then quickly passed away. “It crushed me, and I became very cold. I lost my job, my house, my car, my sanity, and I dove into drugs very hard.”
“A homeless life can be very easy, but at some point, I asked God to deliver me from drugs.” Three days later he was clean and going to church.
Matthew was able to relocate to Greensboro and obtain housing through the Jericho House – a local non-profit focused on helping men with justice involvement and addiction. Through a connection with Triad Goodwill, Matthew was quickly employed with the organization and met Otis. “I met Otis at a store one day and took a chance by talking to him. He told me about an opening on the maintenance team and I applied that night. Because of my carpentry experience, I was able to join the team 2-weeks later and am a Maintenance Assistant.”
When asked how Goodwill has helped him, Matthew explains that “Goodwill didn’t get me off the streets, but it has helped me stay off the streets. I was able to buy a vehicle, and I wouldn’t be where I am without Goodwill.”
