Daniel was homeless for quite some time before he came to Greenville Community Shelter in November 2013. He is a Bronx native and traveled to Greenville because he wanted a fresh start.Daniel spent about five months at the Shelter. During that time, he was able to find a part-time job which qualified him for the Solid Ground program. Solid Ground allows each participant to pay rent based on his or her income and provides case management and home visits to encourage success.According to a recent report from the National Coalition for the Homeless:

As bad as it is for the 13% of homeless people who have jobs and can't escape homelessness, climbing out of homelessness is virtually impossible for those without a job. For those with limited skills or experience, opportunities for jobs that pay a living wage are very limited. In such a competitive environment, the difficulties of job seeking as a homeless person can be almost insurmountable barriers to employment.

Facts like these make homelessness success stories like Daniel's all the more compelling.On a hot, humid day in June 2014, Daniel stopped by the Shelter to visit. He wanted to let us know that he had a new job as a laborer with the new local parking garage project. He was sweaty, dirty and tired, BUT he had a HUGE smile on his face.Daniel is a sincere man who wanted to prove that he could be a productive Pitt County resident. It was a good day for all of us when Daniel stopped by to share his good news. Daniel has been working on the construction project for 7 months now and when that project is complete, he will move on to another building project on the East Carolina University campus.