Lincoln came to Christopher Place (CP) with a lot of baggage. He lived on the streets from the age of 13. Due to a lot of mental illness in his family, no one was able to care for him. At age 21, he had a daughter, but the child’s mother soon broke up with him and he ended up homeless again. His GED teacher told him about Christopher Place. He came and met a few people from Capstone Classes 58 and 59 and knew right away he wanted to be like them, so he signed up.
The first 30 days, during which no outside communication is allowed, were the toughest, Lincoln says, but “I kept my head on straight and kept praying and got through.” Now he’s nearing the completion of the 18-month program.
Lincoln has 3 goals: to get his driver’s license (he now has his learner’s permit), his forklift driver’s certification and his GED. He has a good job working at the DHL warehouse as a mail sorter and would like to find a future and grow with one company until retirement. He is back in his daughter’s life and wants to “teach her to stick it out no matter what.” He’s saving money to get a car and he reads a lot for practice and to broaden his horizons. When he first came to CP, Lincoln barely knew how to read and now he loves it.
At CP, Lincoln says he knows he can talk to his Case Manager, Lester Warfield, about anything. Lincoln thinks of Lester as “a big brother.” After he graduates, Lincoln hopes to return to CP as an alumnus to tell others, “No matter what you go through, don’t let your background get you down. We all have our own depressions and mind sets. Swim through it. Don’t be afraid to talk about it.”