Jeffrey

Jeffrey wanted to help back in May, 2009.

Jeffrey was down on his luck and in pain. He was unemployed and dealing with medical issues.
He is a spiritual man. Not knowing what to do, he prayed for guidance. Out of his prayers came the solution. Jeffrey decided he would volunteer! He went online and found PATH Achieve Glendale.
He told Jerome, Director of Residential Programs, he wanted to volunteer as a barber to give free haircuts to our residents. Jerome simply asked, “When can you start”?

This date marked the beginning of a glorious relationship.

When Jeffrey arrived at PATH Achieve Glendale, he felt alone and without hope, he wanted to redirect his sadness and be of service to others. He told me he knew he was supposed to be here from the minute he walked through our doors. From the very first haircut, he felt something ordinary was turning into an extraordinary experience. The residents were delighted to get haircuts and paid Jeffrey with a beaming smile or a handshake.

Jeffrey’s insecurities started to lift. By the time he had done 70 haircuts, his confidence had been revived. He realized he could create sculptures with his scissors and comb.

Fast forward to June, 2011. Jeffrey has a renewed sense of purpose.
He feels like he is a part of a community when he comes here. He says “PATH Achieve Glendale has validated me. I have surrendered my pain to God. I no longer let the past get in the way of my future. It’s really awesome, what happened to me”.

Jeffrey now works at Shockey’s Barbershop in Burbank. He donates a free haircut at PATH Achieve Glendale for every haircut paid at the barber shop! He has given 163 haircuts to PATH Achieve residents as this article goes to press.

Thank you, Jeffrey!