Jasmine was happy to return to Daybreak. She entered our housing program and readily admits she was lazy at first. Fortunately, she listened to advice and welcomed guidance from Daybreak staff. Before too long Jasmine began to believe in and live up to the potential we knew she had.<\/p>\n
Jasmine worked at Lindy & Company, Daybreak\u2019s pet treat bakery and work-readiness program, as a first step to finding a job. Her time at Lindy\u2019s gave Jasmine enough experience to get a job in the community. Today she\u2019s proud to be a certified forklift operator at Proctor & Gamble.<\/p>\n
\u201cI might be making this sound simple, but it wasn\u2019t easy,\u201d Jasmine told the guests at our Champions for Youth events. \u201cThere were many bumps along the way. I was using drugs, spending more money than I was saving, and trying to please others. I wasn\u2019t being the Jasmine that I could be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jasmine\u2019s biggest bump was when she let friends bring drugs into the apartment Daybreak leased for her out in the community. That\u2019s grounds for immediate eviction, so we had to evict her.<\/p>\n
Jasmine was given a choice. She could move back into one of the apartments in our building, where she\u2019d be more closely supervised, or she could leave the housing program and go out on her own.<\/p>\n
Jasmine decided to find herself an apartment and go out on her own. Even so, Daybreak staff were still available to help and guide her. Today, Jasmine still meets regularly with the employment team.<\/p>\n
Jasmine assured the Champions for Youth crowd that she\u2019d learned valuable lessons from her mistakes and failures.<\/p>\n
She closed her remarks saying, \u201cI think the biggest think I learned at Daybreak was that I can be self-sufficient. I now am a certified forklift operator at P&G, I have my very own apartment, I bought my first car, and I am proud to be taking care of myself. It feels great to have become successful in my life, and it is because of Daybreak and all of you that I am standing here before you today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even if you weren\u2019t there to hear Jasmine speak, keep in mind that her thanks extend to you too. Through your support of Daybreak, you played an important role in Jasmine\u2019s growth and achievement.Truly, Jasmine wouldn\u2019t be where she is today without you. We can\u2019t thank you enough for your commitment to our kids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>