Nick’s Success Story
Three weeks. That’s how long Nick spent walking the streets after his release from a decade of incarceration, searching for work, searching for a chance. Those three weeks felt like an eternity, a limbo between his past and the future he was desperate to build. Every morning, he left Dismas with nowhere to go, putting in applications at stores and staffing agencies, always met with the same question: “What are your charges?”
“I was walking on eggshells,” Nick recalls. “I had to tread lightly with what I said or how much I said. I couldn’t say too much.”
The turning point came on an ordinary morning. Nick noticed another resident from Dismas, Frank, who left at the same time every day. One day, curiosity got the better of him.
“One day I asked him, ‘If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going?’ And he said he was going to Goodwill.”
Frank explained that Goodwill had a career center with computers where you could search for jobs. Nick had no idea any of this existed. Without hesitation, he asked if he could tag along. That morning walk in February changed the trajectory of his life.
Frank introduced Nick to Sam, who introduced him to Kelly, and together they connected him with the Careers On The Outside (COTO) program, a specialized initiative designed to help individuals with criminal backgrounds successfully reenter the workforce.
The COTO program became more than just job training for Nick, it became a place where he could let his guard down.
“I was scared to come back out here after doing ten years. Just being institutionalized, coming back to everyday life, it takes little steps. But with the COTO program, they already knew a lot of the things I was going through. They were bringing me out of my comfort zone and making me feel more comfortable with the things I was talking about.”
Through sharing his story and hearing others’ experiences, Nick gained something he hadn’t felt in a long time: perspective. When asked about his top three takeaways from the program, his answer was immediate and profound: “Patience, not having to be fake, and letting my guard down.”
After completing COTO, Nick was offered a position as a warehouse sorter. His determination was evident from day one. So much so that what should have been a 90-day probationary period was cut to just 30 days when management offered him a full-time position.
Nick’s approach to work was simple but powerful. Show up early, stay busy, and help others even when your own tasks are done. He didn’t wait to be told what to do, he looked for what needed doing and did it.
“They saw my work ethic, saw I was trying. I showed up on time every day. I was always a little early. I was real persistent. They didn’t have to tell me what to do. They didn’t have to stay behind me. I would continuously clean, continually work.”
This dedication didn’t go unnoticed. Nick was soon selected for the travel team, helping with ThriftAnista events at various stores. It was at one of these events that his past experience as a professional painter caught the attention of Jeremy from the Maintenance team.
During a two-day painting project, Jeremy handed Nick a brush and asked him to paint a specific section. Nick’s skill was immediately apparent. A phone call to Otis, a conversation with Derek, and Nick had a new position: Maintenance Technician.
“Derek came around the corner and was like, ‘So you want to work with Maintenance?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, sir.’ And from that day on, I’ve been with Maintenance.”
What Nick found on the Maintenance team went beyond employment. He found mentorship, genuine care, and a sense of belonging he hadn’t experienced in years.
“I felt like I had a family again. Mr. Otis and Jeremy were always asking me every day, ‘How you doing? How you feeling?’ And it was an everyday thing. If I was quiet, there was a, ‘what’s wrong? What you got going on? You want to talk about it?’ So little by little, they were picking my brain and letting me know that they cared about me.”
Otis, in particular, became a pivotal figure in Nick’s journey. His daily encouragement with a, “you did a really good job today, man” provided the affirmation Nick needed to rebuild his self-worth.
“It was just a little pick me up. It made me feel better about myself. I felt like a person again.”
Nick grew up with small family, just his mother and brothers, so the family he has is precious to him. Before his incarceration, he was deeply involved in his nephews’ and nieces’ lives, taking them to play kickball and baseball, trying to keep them away from the negative influences he himself had fallen into.
Now, he’s rebuilding those bonds with his three sons, ages 18, 16, and 14.
“My relationship with my kids is rebuilt, ’cause I’m buying them things now, I’m there for Christmas, and their birthdays. It’s brought us back together. I’m showing them that I’ll give my best to show up for you and to make sure you guys are good. We rebuilt our relationship. I call them every day now.”
This role as a father and role model drives everything Nick does. “I’m a role model. So I have to do certain things in order for them to follow. I don’t want them to do wrong. When you know you have people looking up to you, it gives me more motivation to keep doing the right thing. It all means something.”
Today, Nick is working toward goals he once thought were impossible. He’s paying off his truck and building his credit, and has his sights set on buying his first home.
“Slowly but surely, I’m getting into the groove of the everyday life. I definitely see the potential and I want to keep growing. I wanna make it.”
His work as a Maintenance Technician keeps him engaged and challenged. From cutting trees to building a pulverizer, the variety reminds him of his days building houses. “With the maintenance crew, you never know what you’re going to do. You might get bored one day of this, but you’re going to be constantly changing up.”
When asked what he would tell other employers who turn away qualified candidates because of their criminal backgrounds, Nick’s response is both gracious and pointed:
“They need to be more mindful. They might have missed a diamond in the rough, a needle in a haystack. At least just give me a chance. Let me show you what I can do.”
For those coming out of similar situations, Nick’s advice is equally powerful:
“It would give you a chance to realize who you are, and it also gives you a chance to realize that there are some good people out here. They’re not judgmental here. They’re real open to listening to your story. And they are all genuine. It wasn’t fake. It opened a whole new mind frame of me.”
His final words carry the wisdom of someone who has walked through the valley and emerged stronger:
“Just don’t lose faith. When you’re feeling down, just keep going. Nobody’s going to save you. You have to save yourself but take the help that’s given to you.”
