Benjamin (he/him) grew up in a stable, affluent family. He did well in school, played sports, and excelled at anything he set out to do. His life seemed pointed in the right direction — until addiction came into play and it all went sideways.
About a year ago, he was living on the streets, sleeping in a cardboard box in Olympia, when someone struggling even more than he was reached out to his family.
“I had so many wonderful people trying to help me, and I just wasn’t ready,” Benjamin said. “I could be standing naked on the sidewalk, bleeding out of my eyes, and if someone asked me if I needed help, I would be like, ‘No.’”
But the day his phone rang and it was his stepmother calling, he said yes and made a commitment to get sober. Benjamin learned about FareStart while going through several months of residential treatment at the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Program.
“My life is very much centered around my recovery,” he said. “There were opportunities out there that I could have taken, but FareStart was the bridge I needed between drug treatment and the working world. It built that confidence I needed to hold down a 9-to-5 while learning new skills.”
Benjamin started the Food Pathways Program eager to get perfect attendance but had a rough go during his first week. He was fighting off a cold and had to take a day off. Then he missed another day after a painful breakup blindsided him.
Each time, Benjamin’s support system met him where he was, without judgment. His FareStart case manager connected him to a mental health counselor. His chef instructors listened patiently as he talked about the challenges of grieving a crushing loss while starting a new chapter in life.
“They all just surrounded me with love. It was a beautiful thing,” he said, noting that he never missed another day after those two early absences. “The overwhelming support of my case manager and counseling from Sound Mental Health helped me get through it.”
Benjamin likes to cook and was a health nut for much of his life. He minored in nutrition in college, went to the gym a lot, played basketball, and worked as a personal trainer for a while. While in treatment, he would cook meals for all 30 residents and enjoyed getting back to his enthusiasm for healthy food.
Benjamin said yes to the first opportunity that came his way after graduating from FareStart in March: a part-time position at a catering business run by a fellow FareStart graduate. Every day, he draws on skills he developed at FareStart, inside and outside the kitchen.
“I learned a lot about time management at FareStart, how small improvements over time can compound. I learned that healing is not always linear. It’s not always going to keep going straight up. It’s up and it’s down. Sometimes it’s two steps back and one step forward,” he said.
There’s a mantra he learned at FareStart that really stuck with him.
“It’s about opening up to receive help,” he said, “showing up with your cup half empty, so you can take it in and learn.”
Benjamin’s dream job would be to cook in the kitchen of a homeless shelter or supportive living environment for people in recovery. He has a background in maintenance and has applied for janitorial positions as well.
About a month ago, he interviewed for an entry-level janitorial position at a Seattle-area Goodwill store, where a fellow FareStart graduate he’s stayed in close touch with works. Benjamin impressed the hiring team so much, they made him one of the few customer service associates who supervise the front of the house.
“Things are coming together nicely, and FareStart had a big hand in it,” he said. “I’m so grateful for what they did to help me.”
Read more stories about FareStart graduates and our job training programs and how you can get involved to help people transform their lives.
