"For the most part it's been a good experience (living at the shelter). It's given me shelter and a job, and it's given me a sense of self worth like I'm back in helping the economy in some way."
Ken Danford was another person affected by the economy crash roughly 15 years ago. He, like many others, found himself struggling to get a new job. This resulted in him losing everything he worked for.
Raised in a small town known as Apopka, Florida, Ken is 1 of 6 children. He spent the majority of his life in Apopka and eventually found himself in a job in land surveying. During his 20-25 years as a land surveyor, he managed to work his way from the bottom of the company to the top.
In the blink of an eye, Ken found himself jobless and losing the things he worked for his whole life. He decided to move to Georgia to be closer to family and his children. Ken found that Georgia was not much better and still struggled to find work. After a turn of events, he found himself homeless and down on his luck. Local police helped point Ken to the Brother Charlie's Rescue Center.
It has been 8 years since Ken first stepped foot in Brother Charlie's Rescue Center. He started off just as a resident there, living in the dorms. After a few years, the staff at the shelter decided to give Ken a job with the shelter. Ken still works as the truck driver for the shelter and picks up donations for their thrift shop 5 days a week. He's able to make money and contribute to the community. "For the most part, it's been a good experience (living at the shelter)." Ken said, "It's given me shelter and a job, and it's given me a sense of self-worth like I'm back in helping the economy in some way." Not only has Ken been able to regain a sense of independence, but he has also been able to share this experience with his son, Michael, who also lives at the shelter. "He's a big mental and physical support for me," Ken said.
One of the biggest challenges Ken faces being homeless is financial. He describes his challenges with saving his money due to spending it on food, movies, or other small items. He's working towards saving up for a car of his own in hopes of becoming even more independent.
Like the majority of men in America, Ken likes to spend his free time doing simple things like watching television, grilling, fishing, and of course, joking around with his son and suitemates.
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