2022 Success Story: Darryl Thompson
On Saturday, April 30th at 10am, we invite you to join us at the iconic Apollo Theater for our 2022 Graduation Ceremony. Darryl is one of over 200 men we will celebrate for securing housing, obtaining employment, and earning professional certifications. Read our other Success Stories here.
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that nothing in life is guaranteed, and in the blink of an eye, our lives can be turned upside down. This has been the case for many of the men in Ready, Willing & Able who have fallen on hard times.
Unlike 71% of the men we serve, Darryl has never been incarcerated. He’s also never struggled with a drug addiction. For him, The Doe Fund was a way to get back on his feet after experiencing homelessness.
Darryl grew up in Brooklyn, went to church regularly with his family, and spent most of his life working. Unfortunately, after 30 years of employment, he lost his job as a bowling alley mechanic.
Luckily, while staying at BRC, an intake counselor from The Doe Fund visited the facility to recruit trainees. Although Darryl was feeling really down on himself, he pushed himself to get out of bed when he heard that the recruiter had arrived over the PA system.
Darryl’s brother told him about the program because he knew someone who was a Ready, Willing & Able graduate. Looking to get his feet back on solid ground, he spoke to the recruiter.
A few days later, Darryl walked through the doors of the Porter facility and has been a part of The Doe Fund ever since. He worked hard to get to this point, saying, “When I walked through the doors here, I had to put my blinders on. It was like tunnel vision. I saw what I had to do to get to where I’m at now.”
As The Doe Fund’s Senior Housekeeping Supervisor, he has several guys working under him who are now on the right track. “I’m 56 years old. Who could’ve imagined that I’d be in a place that helps save lives like The Doe Fund? That right there is what drives me. I help some of these guys get on their feet, and it’s a wonderful feeling,” Darryl told us.
Through perseverance, a positive mindset, and his faith, he now has a beautiful place of his own and is loving it, telling us, “I’m grateful that someone gave me the chance to get on my feet. I owe nothing but respect to Ms. McDonald and Nazerine. Who knows where I would be if I hadn’t walked through those doors?”
Sometimes that’s all it takes to turn someone’s life around. At The Doe Fund, we believe homelessness can be solved using our three-legged stool approach of providing paid work, transitional housing, and support services to the men in our program.
Darryl has always been the go-to guy in his family. Before his mother passed away to COVID, he supported her in North Carolina. He also raised his three daughters as a single-parent. And now, he can enjoy the fruits of his labor and spend time with them. “My three daughters are my world. I’ve always been in their lives. Now that I’ve moved out out of Porter, they come by to see my place since I have a roof over my head,” he said.
Like the rest our 2022 graduates, Darryl is now thriving and thankful for how far he’s come. “I cried the night before I came to The Doe Fund. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, I’m actually homeless after working hard all my life.”” He continued, “We live in a society where nobody is exempt from homelessness, and I know that today. It’s okay to fall down, but you better know how to get back up. Thankfully, I had The Doe Fund’s help.”
