Sidney C. is a 49 year old African American male referred to Second Chance Society by the Pompano Beginners Sober House. Sidney fought substance abuse problems for most of his life. The consequences of this lifestyle led to years of homelessness and incarceration.
Miracles do happen, and in early 2011, Sidney hit his bottom. He could no longer take the pain this disease had caused him. The healing process began.When Second Chance Society met his request to SCS was funding for a Florida ID card which he needed for employment purposes, etc. Sidney had been working as a Volunteer at the Administrative offices of the Pompano Beginners Sober House. Due to lack of proper ID, his duties were limited. SCS issued Sidney a check that very same day and Sidney proceeded to the DMV to obtain his FL ID card.
Once he secured the ID, he was promoted to a permanent position as an Intake Counselor for which he receives a salary. Such a simple request, a $25.00 check for a FL ID has transformed Sidney’s life. The ripple effect of this transformation is far reaching.
Needed tools to build a
new life placed into
Herbert’s Home Depot cart
Herbert Builds A New Life
Cocaine tore his family apart. He found himself behind the bars of a Florida prison. His job; lost. His faith was in shambles. Herbert was left alone. Alone until Jesus Christ came to him and touched his life. It was a true personal encounter.
Herbert was given a second chance and released to Broward Partnership for the Homeless (BPHI). He completed the program and continues to progress. His faith is personal and vital now. In fact he was reunited with his wife and family, but he lacked one thing: tools.
Herbert was an electrician without a job. BPHI could help do his case work, but could not help restore his job without the necessary tools. His employer was willing to hire but could not accept Herbert without his tools.
Second Chance Society filled the need. We were able to purchase the necessary tools Herbert needed to start work again. His wife joined us to shop for the conduit cutters and drills he needed. But it was more than tools that fulfilled his need. It was his renewed faith in Jesus that gave him the focus and determination to make the most out of the second chance he received.
SCS's Bill Dalton, left, shops with client Roy for basic tools to get him back to work. What a joy to provide Roy with essentials needed to start working. SCS can help because our partners care.
All That Leg Work Pays Off
This is where the rubber meets the road. Here is where your investment in lives pays dividends. Right in a shopping mall. We never hand out a check. We shop with our client and select items at the best value.
What a joy it is to see smiles of thanks-giving shine like morning stars each time we put something essential into the hands of someone in desperate need. It is worth every mile spent searching for places in strange corners of the city. It is worth every step we take pacing endless isles of tools, looking for the right wire cutter. We can not put a price on that smile of gratitude.
The smiles are genuine. The appreciation is deep. They select what is needed. We purchase the item and place it their hands. It is simply the most satisfying moment in all our labor of love. We know a way was made where there was no way.
Larry Finds the Missing Piece
Larry was lost. He had wandered the streets in a crack induced daze. Crack consumed his life. It nearly destroyed his will to live. That is until someone brought him to the Broward Outreach Center in Hollywood. There is where he rediscovered his will to live and his faith in God.
Larry focused on completing the recovery program at BOC. One by one the pieces to his life came together. He could almost see his dream job: a nurse assistant. A local hospital offered him a job. But there was a missing piece to the puzzle. He had to have the right equipment: uniform and nursing items.
Second Chance Society was his only resource. No one else could help. His case manager and his new employer could only cheer for Larry from the side. But SCS was able to put the final piece to Larry’s puzzled life into place.
His face was full of tearful gratitude as SCS purchased his nursing scrubs, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope and placed them in his hands. Now he could begin his new life with the proper items. Soon after, we found Larry walking into the BOC dressed in his new uniform, stethoscope proudly dangling around his neck. “Thank you so much!” he exclaimed. “Thanks for making a difference in my new life.”
