After high school I went to work at McDonald’s and I stayed there about 7 months. It was all right. I wanted to move higher so I went to the Court building where I did maintenance. It was a whole lot! I learned how to clean, fixing feeders in the boiler room…there was nothing I did not like but it was only part-time. I worked there about 2 years.

From the Court building I went to work at Cosi. I cooked donuts, muffins, made sandwiches, mixed the dough. I liked that job but it I needed a little more money. I stayed there about 2 ½ years. Then I went to the Wisconsin Ave. Nursing Home. I was in housekeeping. I stayed there 16 years. Everybody on every floor knew me, all the elderly people. We got like family. Then a new contract came in and they cut us from $14 per hour to $7 per hour. I stayed as long as I could.

Then one day I heard about Jubilee Jobs by just walking by. I had been unemployed about 2 months when I started with Jubilee. I went on a lot of interviews. It was worth the wait. Now I’m a custodian at the Westchester Apartments. I’ve been there since March of 2004. I make $10 per hour with benefits, health insurance, life insurance and a 401K.

So you have never been involved with the Police?
I stopped messing with the people who do the drugs. You have to learn how to stop dealing with them. I had other friends. We had our little ups and downs.

Tell us about your family.
I have three daughters and I have to take care of them. They are 20, 17, 15. I was 25 when my first daughter was born. She is the apple of my eye. The second one everybody calls my twin because she looks just like me. Being together and with their cousins keeps them out of trouble. My parents both work. My father is at the National Park Service and my mother is President of the Church, First Baptist. I go there I have been there since 13 years old. I love to sing. I used to be in the junior choir but I got older. Now I just sing in the shower.

What advice would you give to other applicants?
I would tell them to go out and get whatever you want. You have to do the right thing. Finish school. Always have your education and then you can do anything. My parents both finished high school. And teach your kids values. Our city is bad. Kids are out there on the street. They need to be straightened up at home. They need that strong value at home so if they go out there on the street they will know how to act.

What are your dreams?
One day I would love to be my own supervisor and to own my own home. Now I am 46 and the future is open ahead.

We stayed in DC Public Housing for two years, and then there was a shooting. A boy was just killed right in front of us. I wasn’t making enough for rent where we lived but I had to get out. I had to get out. Now we live in Jetu Apartments. It’s a very nice environment! The lady couldn’t wait to have me live there. I always maintain my rent. I am never a problem.

How did you find out about Jubilee Jobs? I was on the bus and I met a girl who was coming to Jubilee Jobs. She gave me the number so I can call. She was used by God.

How would your supervisor describe you?
In my store I am a supervisor, but my supervisor would say I am a strong woman. I want to be an inspiration to other women who have similar situations like me. That’s the way I learned. I learned to supervise and encourage everyone who is trying to make it.

Who trained you to be supervisor?
A girl called Gala was my trainer/ supervisor. Will Crawford, he is my mentor. He is my role model because he was there for me. He listened. He put my family first. I was at my job for six months and I asked to visit Nigeria and no manager would allow it, but he did. He is one of the best. I want him to know how much I appreciate him.

What is the best part of your job?
The customers walking in my store and getting what they pay for; seeing them happy and they keep coming. I have three or four awards and commendations from customers who have called Starbucks and gave recommendations. What I love is that customers are happy and making sure people working around me are happy.

What is the hardest part of my job?
When there is no communication. Communication is the best key for everything. No job is perfect. There is always something, but I try to listen to problems and find a way to resolve it instead of letting it escalate.

What is your goal?
My goal is to continue what I am doing and go to the higher level. I would like to have my own store and to advance in education. I finished high school in Nigeria. I would like to attend college and maybe later save money. I also want to get a house.

What advice would you give a new applicant?
I would advise to be strong in every job, meaning you do everything to keep that job because if you have patience, it will pay off later. Don’t quit. Jubilee Jobs will be there for you as it was for me. That is the way there is future for me.

After I got the belt, I heard that Sugar Ray Leonard, my idol, snorted cocaine, so I started “tooting” cocaine before fights. In 1986 I got locked up for something like putting my mom’s license plate on my car. This beautiful woman helped bond me out of jail, so I didn’t do any time. I asked her out and she said yes. She got me into crack cocaine. I was gone after that. I was with it for 5-6 months, still going to the gym and smoking crack, but then I got lazy. I wanted to smoke crack more and spend more time with the woman. Then I ran out of money, and as soon as the money was gone, she was gone. With my money and my woman gone, I turned into a criminal. If it wasn’t chained down, I took it.
These men from the neighborhood started teaching me how to work on cars, so I became a mechanic. I’d work on cars on the street. I was cheap! They’d call me Bob Barker, because the “price was right.” Younger guys called me the Dollar Man because I was always making a dollar. I did that from my late twenties to my late thirties. During that time, I was still stealing things off people’s cars, so I was in and out of court and I got incarcerated twice. I did a little over 4 years in prison total. That second time I was incarcerated I said, “I’m getting too old for this,” and that saved my life. If I hadn’t been incarcerated, I’d probably still be out there doing drugs.
I came home from prison the second time and I was in a halfway house. The halfway house sent us out 3 hours a day to look for jobs, so I put applications everywhere. When asked if I was ever convicted of a felony, I checked “Yes” and I’d never get called back. They didn’t want to hire someone who had committed a felony. I needed a job bad because if I didn’t get a job in a certain amount of time, they’d send us back to jail. That’s where I found out about Jubilee Jobs. A guy gave me the phone number and told me to call, so I did.
At that first orientation, I just kept praying, “I hope they can get me a job. I don’t care what kind of job it is, I would take it!” I went on a few interviews and I got hired as a dishwasher at AV Italiano. They needed somebody bad, so they hired. I made minimum wage, $6.25. I worked there for 10 months and then I came back to Jubilee Jobs, and they helped me get my career job. My career job was welding, and they helped me get a welding job with City Iron. The first interview I went on, they hired me. I remember that day when they hired me, he said, “I’m hiring you because I like your attitude,” so your personality means a lot on an interview, so you can’t be talking like you’re on the street. I’ve been there for two years. I was making $9 when I started and now I’m making $12 an hour.

What do you like most about your job?
The work, the welding, is interesting. When I finish, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. And when the customers are happy, I’m happy. We don’t get too many complaints. I can get along with the guys I work with. I love working outside, seeing people, seeing life, happiness. They’re out there taking care of their business and we’re there taking care of our business.

What do you like least about the job?
There’s a whole lot of lifting! Metal…some is heavy, some is light, but we’ve got to lift it up. That’s part of the job, though. And working the dip tank (dipping metal I’ve welded in paint). I hate getting paint all over me, but I don’t have to do that anymore. The new guys get the dip tank.

Are there ever days you don’t want to go to work?
Never! If I don’t get up and go to work on a weekday, I’m miserable. I need to work! I get enough rest on the weekends. If it rains, we can’t work and they send us home, but we don’t want to go home. We stay in the shop and clean up.

Describe what kind of worker you are.
I’m a good worker! Guys love to work with me. I’m easy, kind, friendly kind of guy. I can get along with any style, any kind of music…I get along with everybody. I’m there at work every day at 7:30 a.m. and we don’t start work until 8:00 a.m.
What are your goals, your next steps?
I’m working on getting my own apartment because I’ve been staying with my niece and her four kids. As far as the job goes, I think I’m going to be here for a long time. Ever since school I’ve wanted to be a welder, so this is a career job for me. I can live it up on this job! The salary keeps going up!

If someone asked you if they should go to Jubilee Jobs, what would you say?
I’d say, “Go for it, man! I’ll give you the phone number!” I gave a couple of guys the phone number, too. Jubilee will get you a job. It doesn’t matter what kind of record you have, they’ll help you get a job. You don’t need to have no experience, you just need to want to work. Jubilee Jobs works! I’m living proof.

What advice would you give to a new applicant?
Listen to what they’ve got to say. If they tell you to come in, you come in, and make sure you’re on time, too, because that shows you want to work. Watch your attitude. Don’t blow up! Control your temper and you’ll get a job.

What would you say to people who contribute money to Jubilee Jobs?
Whoever gives Jubilee Jobs money to help get this going, they’re an angel from God. They are a blessing from God. That’s all I can really say. Jubilee Jobs got me a job and blessings come to me every day. Every day I go to work is a blessing!

I graduated from Bell High School in 1984. I went to the University of the District of Columbia to get a four-year degree in Computer Information System Science, but that didn’t pan out too good. It was a little too rough for me, so I decided to go for the two year Computer Programming degree, but after a year and eight months I didn’t have enough money to continue.

From there I went to Arch Training School to learn Building and Maintenance work. I attended there for six months and was able to complete that program, so I’ve got a Building and Maintenance certificate. I had a few different jobs after that. I was a punch-out worker at an apartment complex doing maintenance, repairing faucets, doors…whatever was broken we had to fix so someone else could move in. I also worked as a Remodeler’s Helper, a Grounds Technician, a Painter/Carpenter Helper and a Commercial Janitor in different places, so I had a lot of experience working in buildings. I’ve always liked fixing things so I enjoyed it, but a lot of times I wasn’t getting enough hours, not even 20 a week.

One day I talked to someone who got a job through Jubilee Jobs, so I said, “I’ll give it a try.” When I came I saw a lot of other people who didn’t have jobs, so I thought, “I’m in the right place. This is it.” Nat Reid was my job counselor. He sent me on a job interview at the Colonnade Condominiums in July, 2002, and I got hired. I buffed and waxed floors, polished brass, cleaned mirrors, shampooed and vacuumed carpets. It was okay. The people were nice, it was a great atmosphere; it just wasn’t enough money. When I first got there I was making $6.15 an hour. When I left almost four years later, it was only like $7 an hour.

Eventually I called over here to look for Nat and he wasn’t here anymore, so I got another counselor. When I came to meet her, they introduced me to Ms. Johnson, the Move-Up Job Counselor. I came to a couple of Job Friends Dinners and signed up for the Move-Up Program. It wasn’t that rough. It was okay. I filled out applications online, dropped off resumes and interviewed for jobs. I believe it was like a month before I got a job. Ms. Johnson told me about a job opening as a Building Superintendent with Jubilee Housing.

Describe yourself as an employee.
I’m always there, on the job! I’m kind, considerate, I speak to everyone. I’m a hard worker and I go the extra mile to get the job done. I’m supposed to get off work at 4:00, but they can call me at 3:45 and I know the job is going to take me an hour, but I just go do it anyway.

What do you like most about your job?The job is beautiful! A lot of great people over there. It’s spiritual-based, so that’s a strong point. I’ve got benefits, I work 40 hours and I’m making $9 an hour. I also get to live in an apartment as part of my pay. It’s great having a place of my own! It’s peaceful, quiet and it stays clean.

What is most challenging about your job?
Plumbing. The plumbing engineer retired two weeks ago, so I went from Building Superintendent to plumber. I have a lot of experience plumbing, but it’s still a challenge. The shop was in shambles, stuff still in boxes that had never been taken out.

Can the tenants be difficult?
Sometimes they can be, but a lot of times they just want someone to listen to them. Just lend them your ear and everything seems to come back together.

Are there days you don’t feel like going?
No. I wouldn’t know what to do at home. There’s nothing to do. I just can’t stay at home. I need to fill my day up with some kind of activity, and work is part of that activity.

What are your future goals?
I’d like to have my Associate’s Degree in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. Lincoln Technical Institute is free and probably takes about a year. I can go on the weekends and in the afternoons. My job is about to send me to school in a minute, at least that’s what they said.

What advice would you give to other Jubilee Jobs applicants?
Stay positive, stay focused, and be determined to get a job! You’ve got to look like you want a job, so take care of your appearance. And your body language…if someone’s trying to tell you about the program and you’re pouting or giving off negative signals, people don’t want to help you.

What has Jubilee Jobs done for you?
They’ve got a lot of great people over there that understand that it’s hard to find a job, so they’ll put forth the time and effort to help you get the things you need to find a job…they’ll help you get a resume together, they give you a lot of information on interviewing skills and things like that to get you ready and motivated to find a job.

What about the monthly Job Friends meetings?
That’s great because you get to meet a lot of people from Jubilee Jobs and a lot of the staff of Jubilee Jobs. They serve great food, have nice entertainment, and each time you go you learn something new. They have different programs for Health Care, moving up in your jobs, a lot of good information comes out of those Job Friends Dinners.

In what ways to you try to give back?
I volunteer to help clean up the community. I went on the Help-the-Homeless Walk-a-Thon to help raise money for Jubilee Jobs. I’ve shared my story with groups who have come to Jubilee Jobs to learn more about it a couple of times.

What would you say to people who contribute money to Jubilee Jobs?
Only thing I can say is, “Thank you for having the heart and understanding needed to help the unfortunate, people like myself. Find a network such as Jubilee Jobs and help in the struggle.”

That year I needed money to send my oldest son to college, so I left the job and drew my retirement in a lump sum. My husband was a fireman and cab driver, so I could be a stay-at-home mom. I had idle time, and that’s when my addiction started. I was spending time with friends who were into drugs and got into it myself. I would take odd jobs here and there, working as a cashier at a gas station, a food preparer at another restaurant, a greeter at Black Eyed Pea and as a waitress at IHOP. That’s when I completely shut down and didn’t work at all because my addiction had progressed so far.

One day the water and gas got turned off. In time I lost my husband and my house, but that didn’t even do it. Eventually I saw the pain I was going through. I couldn’t get the high I once had. It was hard for me to get the $8. I was just functioning. My feeling started to come back. I was embarrassed. Grandchildren were starting to be born and I wasn’t interacting with them. I could only imagine what they looked like, how they were.
In August, 2003 a police officer asked me if I wanted help. He took me to PG Hospital and filled out some papers. I called Avery Road every day until they had a vacancy. It took me a month. On September 17, 2003 I checked myself into Avery Road and started my recovery, and I haven’t looked back. In March I came to Samaritan Inns and they made an appoint-ment for me to go to Jubilee Jobs orient-tation. I received my first job from Jubilee on April 16, 2004.

What job was that?
I was a stock person at Restaurant Associates (a food service at the Smithsonian). It was the first interview I went on and they offered me the job. I’m still there. April 16 made it two years. I started as a stock person, stocking food. I was always given awards and recognition for keeping the place clean, but I wanted something a little stronger. Then I got promoted. Now I’m a cashier that handles thousands of dollars. That increases my resume a great length. I don’t know where it’s taking me, but I know it’s a place that I need to be and want to be. I have health benefits, vision, dental, I get a two-week vacation, and this company does have room for growth into management.

Tell us what kind of employee you are.
I’m striving for perfection. The job requires perfection. My cash drawer can’t be short. If it is, they think I’m taking money. If I’m over, that means I cheated somebody, and I take that seriously! I’m always prompt. I try to be there 45 minutes ahead of time in case they need help, in case someone didn’t come in. I think ahead. I continue to want to do an excellent job. I have to be helpful, considerate, understanding, kind. I make sure I get proper rest and proper food so I’m cheerful. I shine my shoes, keep my uniform clean, and then at the end of the day I say, “Thank you, Lord. We did this.”

What do you like most about your job?
Interacting with people is number one. People from all over the world come in and I can ask them about where they come from. Working independently is great! I feel something good is happening in my life; a second chance is coming back for me. I like the trust the job gives me. They trust me to handle this money, and that’s really impor-tant for me because in my addiction I was so untrusted. I feel I’m giving something back. Because of me this company is making money, it’s growing. I love helping people. The helping part is back in my life.

What is the hardest part of your job?
Making sure the money is right, that my drawer is correct. That’s tough. I also work around a lot of young people, and that’s where I need patience! I need to tell them, “You can’t be wearing your walkman at work. You can’t just stop and talk. You have to constantly work your 8 hours. They pay us by the minute, so they expect us to be working every minute unless we’re on break.” They’ll come to me and ask me things, and that makes me feel good. I feel like I’m back in leadership. My self-esteem is becoming very strong.

How much are you making?
I was making $8.75 when I first took the job, now I’m making $9.42 and I hope to get word of a raise today. I get a raise every 6 months and they haven’t denied it to me yet.

What’s the next step for you?
Security is very important to me, so I’d like to have retirement benefits. I’ve thought about going back into the government, doing some desk work. I’ve been on my feet for a while. Now it’s time to sit back down. To do that I would need to go to school for training.

You’re on the Applicant Advisory Board. Talk about what that means to you.
I want to be an example. I’m 59 years old and I still work in a strenuous job. I want to show older people they can do it! It doesn’t even have to be for payment. It can be volunteer. My purpose is to serve, to be a servant. It’s a good feeling for me! Giving back, being there for others…those things are important to me.

You’re also involved in a Spiritual Support Group. What has that experience been like for you?
It has brought me closer to God, and being closer to the Lord, I can feel that I’m a changed person. I’m not a vindictive person anymore. I feel much more serenity with myself. We’re asked to spend at least 15 minutes a day with God, so I’m praying on the bus or in the street. I’m listening to other people’s problems. I’ve picked up reading. My Thursday is so important to me! Nothing will get in the way of me and my group on Thursdays. I’m learning to live off of faith. When God says He’s got you, He’s got you. I strongly believe that being connected with others is my calling. I used to say, “I want it yesterday.” Now I can say, “Whenever you want it, Lord.” It’s really nice to go somewhere where people are glad to see you, and you’re glad to see them. That Thursday helps with the job, it helps with the husband, my whole life.

I was into drugs at the time, selling and smoking marijuana, which I had started when I was living in St. Vincent. When I came to the US my friends were smoking it and it was more affordable, so it started to be a problem. Then I left work and went to Brooklyn, New York to live where I had some family and an old girlfriend. I got a job working at an Auto Parts store as a cashier, stocking shelves, etc. There a friend introduced me to cocaine. I started selling it for him and I noticed the kind of money he was getting, so I got my own practice and started to sell.
Another friend showed me how to cook the cocaine to make rocks. That was the end. It was so dangerous! I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It got to the point that I couldn’t sell it anymore because I had to use it myself. There were months that I wouldn’t pay rent and instead used the money for drugs. I started asking for money. I knew it wasn’t the life I wanted, but in my addiction I felt I had to have it.
I came back to D.C. and continued using drugs for a long time after that, until about 3 to 3 ½ years ago. I was going to buy some drugs one night and got stabbed so I had to go to the hospital. I thought, “This might be my last chance.” I had a week in the hospital to think about it. I told the people in the hospital, “I’m not leaving here. You need to get me in a program or something.” People at the hospital told me about Christ House. I spent three months at Christ House. After 3 months I told them, “I’m not leaving here either.” I needed something more intensive, so they recommended SOME. I went to “The Mountain,” SOME’s rehab program.
When I came back, I was in a transition house with SOME where they told me about Jubilee Jobs. At first I was doubtful about people being able to help me. When I was on the streets nobody seemed to care. I thought, “They’re going to give me a job washing dishes for the rest of my life,” and I didn’t want that. I didn’t know where I was going to work or how the employer was going to talk to me, but I didn’t want to go back to the streets so I went.
Everyone here was nice. They were God-fearing, they weren’t nasty. I felt a different sense of love here. My first job through Jubilee Jobs was at Fuddruckers. I started as a dishwasher making $7.50 an hour. I worked that for about five to six months and then moved up to line cook making $8.25. I was a line cook for about a year-and-a-half. That’s when I heard about the Move-Up Program. I applied and met with Ms. (Carolyn) Johnson. The Move-Up process was a learning experience! I was about to leave Fuddruckers for another job, but Ms. Johnson told me to hang on. She said, “You need to tell that next employer that you’ve worked that job for a long time. And think about the skills you’re learning about how to deal with people. Think about how you are developing.” So I hung on. I went to Job Friends meetings. A week after I went to my second meeting I applied for a job at Renaissance Hotel as a bellman and I got the job. It went very quickly. Now I’m making $6.50 an hour plus tips, so I average maybe $13-14/ hour.

What are your responsibilities at work?
I welcome people to the hotel, direct them where they need to go and help them take their bags to their room; if they want to change their room, I help them; I take their luggage back downstairs when they are checking out. I have to secure people’s bags. Sometimes it’s very valuable things: jewelry or computers. I have keys to all the rooms, so they trust me and I am responsible with that trust. Sometimes if I see something that’s not my job but it needs to be done, I’ll do it. If I see water that is spilled and no one has cleaned it up, I clean it up even though it’s not my job.

What do you like about your job?
I like my job. I love to meet people! They come from all walks of life, all kinds of personalities, different countries. I am prepared for however someone approaches me because I stayed at Fuddruckers, just like Ms. Johnson told me.

What is most challenging about your job?
Working with my co-workers, because they can mess it up for everybody. They don’t have a lot of training in how to treat people and how to respond to people. I have to do a lot of work that they wouldn’t do to cover for them.

What motivates you to keep going when you don’t feel like going to work?
I have a responsibility to be there! I will never give them a reason to think that I won’t show up. I want them to trust me at all times. I’ve never taken off. When I think about the tips, that helps a little, too. I don’t care what it is, nothing is keeping me back.

How has your Job Counselor helped you?
I don’t know where to start. The whole staff here is wonderful. Ms. Johnson is a very warm person and she enlightens you. She is concerned. She follows up and checks on me if I don’t check in. She is caring, loving person. She would give me advice, but she would involve me in the advice. She didn’t just tell me what to do, she helped me participate in the process. She respected me and I respect her back.

What advice would you have for new applicants at Jubilee Jobs?
Take whatever job you get first, and stick with the first job you have, because it might not seem like anything great at the time but you need the experience to get back into the job force. You have to work your way up. It might seem like a task at first, but it will benefit you. Stick with it. It will give you some discipline. Also, be honest with the counselors. If you don’t tell the truth, it will only hurt you.

What goals do you have for the future?
The next thing for me is owning my own home. My aunt is offering to put me on the deed to her home, then I would take over payments of her home and it would become mine. I would like to go back to school to finish my accounting degree in college. The hotel said they would help me pay for it if I was interested. I really want to do something that’s going to be helpful to people