Nick moved to the United States from Puerto Rico at the age of 17. As a teenager, Nick made some bad decisions that ultimately landed him in jail. But after being released, he straightened out his life. He found a job, met a woman, and got married. Nick’s life was progressing smoothly until a back injury prevented him from working full-time. Not long after his injury, Nick and his wife divorced. He tried to pick up the pieces of his life, but another failed relationship left him on the streets with nowhere to go.
Nick was referred to the Allentown Rescue Mission through The Lehigh Conference of Churches. He committed to the programs that the Allentown Rescue Mission has in place to rehabilitate men and he excelled in the Transformation Program. At the start of the program, Nick voiced his goals of working for the Clean Team and also volunteering in food services here at the Allentown Rescue Mission. He stated that he wanted to help others and to “give back” in this way.
After graduating from the Transformation Program, he moved on to work for the Clean Team Workforce, which he is still a part of. He has begun to volunteer in the kitchen at the Allentown Rescue Mission as well and has found his own place to live, from which he commutes. Nick has achieved many of the goals he set out to achieve when arriving at the Allentown Rescue Mission. His success story is still being written every day as he is being restored to independence and continues to move forward on a positive path.
