Walik M’s family moved to Florida when he was in high school. As a result of the move, his paperwork
was not properly filed with the school district, and he didn’t finish high school. He lived with his parents
and volunteered at a non-profit organization to help his local community. As time went on, Walik and his
parents agreed that he needed to become independent and self-sufficient. So, he decided to relocate to
Pennsylvania to “make a way” for himself. Walik stayed with friends and family before eventually coming
to the Allentown Rescue Mission’s Emergency Shelter.
While in the Emergency Shelter, Walik determined that his next best step toward independence was to
enroll in the Transformation Program. In the program, he learned many skills and was made aware of
resources that could help him achieve his goals.
Walik graduated from the Transformation Program and started working for the Clean Team Workforce.
After he becomes acclimated to his work schedule, he would like to pursue his GED or vocational training
and move forward step-by-step toward his self-sufficiency goal.