Stacy’s expression fills with love as he recalls the time he spent growing up alongside his brothers under the care and guidance of his mother.
The family was exceptionally close, he says, pausing before explaining that his mother and brothers passed away within a few years of each other.
As he attempted to cope with the unbearable loss, Stacy developed a substance abuse disorder, which grew until he ded up incarcerated.
During his sentence, Stacy says he found his faith through services held in the prison, and he came out ready to change his life. At a job fair, Stacy learned about UpSpire, Presbyterian Night Shelter’s social enterprise that lowers barriers to employment and provides jobs with benefits, competitive pay, and supportive services. He seized the opportunity, and within two months in the program, he’d earned a promotion, as well as Employee of the Moth. Now a lead landscape driver, he trains new employees and leads by example.
Stacy hopes to progress in his career so he can help people transition into a better life. “There’s good in everybody,” Stacy says, adding, “all somebody needs it to know that somebody actually cares. I’ve been clean for two years now, and my life is completely better!”
