Gateway Center Annual Report - 2018-2019 - 2

SUCCESS
STORIES
GATEWAY CENTER LAUNCHES SECURITY
OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM
Gateway Center's Career Services Supervisor, Mr. Tommie Simon, in
collaboration with our community partner Watchman Security, launched a
security officer training program in January 2019. The first class included
five Gateway Center guests who successfully completed and graduated
from the program. Each graduate received an employment opportunity
with Watchman Security earning $11 per hour.
Helping our guests leverage their previous experiences or receive job
readiness training in order to join the workforce is one of our Five Keys
to Success, which helps people experiencing homelessness regain
self-sufficiency.

EVOLUTION THROUGH THE EVOLUTION CENTER
Christopher Brooks is one of many guests who found #AWayHome
through Gateway Center. After experiencing homelessness for four years,
he arrived in Atlanta in 2017 longing for a place of his own to call home.
Following an assessment from our ClearPath @ Gateway Center team,
Mr. Brooks was placed in our Evolution Center (low-barrier shelter)
program. In this program, he received shelter and intensive case
management services that included the development of an Individual
Service Plan (ISP). This ISP provided him with a pathway back to school,
housing options, financial planning, and other supports that served as
a catalyst in his ability to regain his independence. Mr. Brooks majored
in Elementary Mathematics at Western Governors College via online
courses and he graduated in 2019. His professional goal is to teach fourth
grade mathematics.
While experiencing homelessness, Mr. Brooks said he bounced from
shelters to bridges. He expressed that having his own place often felt
unrealistic. While signing his lease, he said he felt extremely blessed
and began to sing "The Storm is Over Now" by Kirk Franklin. Mr. Brooks
shared that he is grateful for the assistance the Evolution Center provided
him, and he has plans to visit in the future and volunteer.

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Gateway Center Annual Report - 2018-2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Gateway Center Annual Report - 2018-2019
