Dedrick just accepted a position as a package handler with UPS. New to this type of work, he’s feeling apprehensive but is also looking forward to having a job.

“Only the strong survive” is a phrase Dedrick tells himself to keep motivated. He moved from Tennessee at the age of 14, shortly after his mother died. “I’ve had to depend on myself,” he told us.

Dedrick, now in his mid-twenties, is glad to be in Minnesota. “There are so many opportunities here,” he told us. “You can do anything!” Dedrick currently lives in supportive housing and looks forward to saving money for his own place. When asked what brings him joy, Dedrick smiled and said, “Friendships and finances.”

Through our Keep Your Place program, we outfitted Dedrick with everything needed to start his new job successfully, including steel-toed boots, black pants, shirts, socks, a hat and gloves, a care pack filled with hygiene items, laundry soap, and a 31-day unlimited bus pass to get to and from work.

Please join us in wishing Dedrick all the best in his new job!