It was a challenging time when 59-year-old Ty Biggs first moved from his family home to Gallagher Services in 2012. His mother was ill, and his two aunts who also helped to support him were aging as well.
“It’s been an experience adjusting,” he said. But over the last six years, Ty has grown in so many ways to become more independent and start realizing more of his individual dreams.
With the support of his team, Ty has worked on home, safety and job readiness skills. He now uses MTA Mobility, does his own laundry, makes his own lunch, picks out his own clothes, and uses his own cell phone. “I was nervous at first,” Ty said about using MTA Mobility. But the payoff is important to him. “I want more independence.”
After trying out a job at a fast food restaurant, Ty shared that it wasn’t what he was looking for. So his team came together to talk with him about next steps.
Ty loves to be outdoors, so six months ago he began to work with Employment Specialist Ben Mortenson to learn lawn care, simple carpentry, landscaping, and horticulture.
“Ty picks up things quickly,” Ben said. “He has the desire to learn. He makes mistakes and learns from them. It is amazing to see all his abilities and so many possibilities starting to open up for him.”
When he voiced his desire to start his own small lawn- and snow-removal business, and to make footstools, Ty’s dreams and team continued to grow. Catholic Charities Human Resources Business Partner Britney Niebuhr worked with him on his interviewing skills. Dave Lombardo, from a local business called American Deck, reviewed Ty’s business plan and has become his mentor. Shaniya Douglas, a student at CCBC, assisted Ty to produce his video resume. And he plans to work on a design for his business cards.
As Ty continues to move forward with his dreams, he still remains very close to his aunts. He visits and calls them regularly. Recently, Ty took his Aunt Kitty to the Inner Harbor for a weekend getaway. They both could not be happier with all that Ty is accomplishing.