The Story of Jaden
After living in Miami, Florida for five years, Jaden returned to his hometown of Detroit. Initially he came back intending only to visit. Then he got involved in Better Way Detroit, and he decided to stay.
“You know when you have your mind made up and then you have to go a different way?” he said. “(Better Way) helped to point me in the right direction.”
“Going through the program, I changed a lot. Because of it, I try to do things in a better way.”
Jaden participates in the program’s after-work Bible study group. “That helped me,” he said. “We read stories about David and Jonah. At first, I liked David, but I liked the story of Jonah better. David did some messed up stuff. Jonah just needed a push, and he ended up doing what he was supposed to do.”
Jaden learned about Better Way from his sister, who had previously participated in the program. And the shelter where he was living, Covenant House, helped him get involved in the Better Way program. Since then, he has not looked back.
“A lot of people, like ones in Miami, aren’t given opportunities like this,” he said. “I know people there who would jump at an opportunity like this. I would recommend Better Way to someone, but only if that person is really ready to step up to the plate. You can’t go and be half motivated.”
“Once you get older, you aren’t going to have anybody else to take care of you,” he said. “You have to take care of yourself.”
Jaden has since graduated from Better Way with fond memories. Some of his favorite jobs while working for Better Way were helping with Blight Busters, creating a local park for the community, and cleaning out an abandoned building. He also enjoyed working for the volunteer program Focus Hope.
Better Way helped refer Jaden to his current job with Empowerment Plan, where he makes coats for the homeless. He is also taking a computer class and studying to get his GED. And he now has an apartment to call his own. “I am happy I chose to do this. Ever since I moved back here, I’ve been focused on completing goals, and that is exactly what I have been doing. That is what I kept doing, and it’s just getting better.”