The pressure was on at the FareStart Café in South Lake Union, with a line of customers waiting for their drinks. But Eli (he/him) and Payton (he/him), two students in FareStart’s Barista & Customer Service Program, were having fun and rising to the occasion. Working alongside FareStart barista trainer Nikole Taber (she/her) and several other staff members, they calmly made their way through the orders and took pride in their work, celebrating their latte art and delivering drinks with a smile.
Eli is about to graduate from FareStart’s free, eight-week Barista & Customer Service job training program and has impressed everyone with his eagerness to learn and dedication to carving a path forward in his life.
“He keeps looking for more and never settles,” says FareStart Case Manager Barbara Rivera (she/her). “I’m just so proud of him. Because he’s like: ‘My situation is hard, but I’m still going.'”
Eli is feeling positive about his future: “I feel very optimistic. I’m tired of staying in a homeless shelter. I want to get my own apartment. I want to live my life already.”
After a lengthy application process that he navigated with persistence and follow-through, Eli was approved for semi-permanent housing through the YMCA and is getting ready to move into his own home this week.
Eli has landed two jobs and is working 50+ hours a week while also training 12 hours/week in the FareStart Barista & Customer Service Program. He’s enjoying the work and is proud of his accomplishments.
“The way that I see it, I get to make a difference in people’s lives, and I get to spread kindness,” Eli said.
Moving Backward to Moving Forward
Eli moved to Seattle from Yakima about a year and a half ago at the age of 21 and was in and out of homeless shelters and jail. Living in his friend’s car and in different shelters has been difficult for him, and his path had some setbacks along the way.
“I took no step forward, but three steps back. After I got housed in the first shelter, I went back to being homeless. And somewhere along the way I lost a job,” he said.
“It’s kind of tough in a shelter, like being locked up. There are people that want to act all dumb and put on a tough guy image and fight. But I can’t put everything on them because I’ll be honest, I am at fault sometimes. Maybe I say stuff out of pocket, or I act a certain way, and so I get what I deserve.”
Eli was kicked out of one shelter for getting in a fight, but he’s now stably housed at New Horizons, getting ready to move into his own home and staying focused on his goals.
“I’ve learned sometimes it’s best to just not say anything and walk away. It’s hard to do that as a person. Someone at FareStart told me, ‘You have to pick and choose the fights you want to be involved in.’ Meaning, am I going to fight with someone that’s for dumb stuff or am I going to fight for a house and fight for a car and fight for my dreams type of stuff?”
An Optimistic Path Forward
Eli sees a lot of value in FareStart’s Barista & Customer Service Program and is glad that he signed on. “FareStart gave me its name, a fair start. Sometimes, if you are around people who are pessimists and narcissists, to see people who are optimists is like, whoa. It’s a difference.”
“FareStart has amazing staff. I love how they understand that we are coming out of homelessness. It’s a different realm. We live in the mentality of having to survive, but coming to FareStart we learn how to be professional. I love how they have people to check up on us, like mentors.”
Eli had this to say about his future: “I think somewhere along the way I do see myself being a barista. And if I choose not to, this chapter of my life has taught me how to be professional and character traits that I have to follow in the workplace, like being punctual, do your job, be a team player.”
Barbara explains it this way: “He’s learned about separating his authentic self from his professional self and how that looks for him. It hasn’t been the easiest thing because he is very authentic and likes to be himself. But we’ve been trying to teach him that there’s part of you that should stay outside of work, and then you should be able to be the best possible employee – and he’s been very receptive to that.”
A Positive Influence
Eli has also learned a lot from his peers in the program, people whom he respects and wants to be around. “Guys like him (Payton), I want alongside me for life. I’ve had people that have told me to do bad stuff but look at that pain. Payton is a guy that’s younger than me, but honestly, I look up to him.”
And Eli has been a positive influence on others throughout the program. “He’s a shoulder to lean on,” said Barbara. “He understands where everybody is coming from and where they are in their life. He listens to everybody. He’s willing to be the first to want to try something or speak up if nobody else is speaking. So, he’s a leader.”
What’s Next
Eli is determined to take three steps forward now, singularly focused on his goals for the future, and wanted to share his story as an inspiration for others.
“Ultimately, I want to be a dad, so I need to spend these next seven years in my twenties to just lock in, save up, learn skills that can help me, but also skills that I can teach my kids to be able to work.”
“I’m not trying to compare myself to anyone else who’s had it hard, but I feel like heartbreak, homelessness, death and family — if you stay stuck on that, you waste your time, you waste your money and you lose your potential. Do not be afraid to try out new opportunities, because you might end up sticking with it and liking it. Hopefully my story can inspire them.”
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Last year, FareStart supported 115 students in the Barista & Customer Service Program. Learn more about the program here.
