2022 Success Story: Jose Velez
On Saturday, April 30th at 10am, we invite you to join us at the iconic Apollo Theater for our 2022 Graduation Ceremony. Jose is one of over 200 men we will celebrate for securing housing, obtaining employment, and earning professional certifications. Read our previous Success Stories here.
Ready, Willing & Able provides so many things all in one: paid work, career training, housing, comprehensive social services. But for many of our graduates, the most important thing it provides, after living for so long without direction, is purpose.
That was the case with Jose, who found his purpose when he heard about the program. In fact, he travelled all the way from Florida to join it. After struggling with addiction for years, he decided to turn his life around for his daughter — and he knew Ready, Willing & Able would help him do it.
Thanks to a broom, bucket, and blue uniform, Jose was able to transform himself. He also found the support system he needed to navigate whatever challenges life sent his way. “What was most memorable to me were the relationships I have built and still remember with my teachers, instructors, and fellow trainees which were priceless,” Jose said.
The Doe Fund offered a myriad of career paths for Jose to pursue, including opportunities for entrepreneurship. “Believe it or not I was focused on doing Security, but when I saw the opportunity for advancement and the possibility to become an entrepreneur through the Commercial Drivers License Training, I went for it,” he told us.
Jose stayed committed to building a secure future for his daughter. He was able to obtain his NYS Commercial B License and two jobs. “I could not have asked for a better opportunity than The Doe Fund,” Jose told us. “The computer classes and Career Success Strategies really helped me learn and practice skills that were important in finding my current job. The Doe Fund Fatherhood Initiative put me in a position to turn this father into a dad.”
Nowadays, Jose keeps himself busy working as a CDL-B Route Delivery Driver for an electrical supply company, and also as a para-transit operator for Access-A-Ride, where he is responsible for transporting passengers with disabilities or mobility issues. “Sobriety and vehicle safety are very high on my list of priorities to better my life,” he said.
Driving has done wonders for both his physical and mental health. Since graduating and starting his jobs, he told us, “I am able to realize my accomplishments and capabilities, gain appreciation for what I have with my daughter and significant other, and focus on my spiritual beliefs and sobriety in my own personal zone.”
Jose has also been enjoying quality time with his daughter, while reaping the benefits of finding employment, having a place of his own in Brooklyn, and maintaining sobriety. “Participating in the Ready, Willing & Able program definitely made me more responsible for myself, and personally, made me a humble person,” Jose said. “It gave me the structure I needed in my life to face and better manage my sobriety, which used to have so much control over my life.”
Like the rest of our 2022 Ready, Willing & Able Graduates, Jose saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and didn’t drift away from his goals. We are so proud to witness how far he’s come, and we look forward to seeing what’s in store for him and his daughter!
