Orlandis: “Now I try to help others who are homeless.”

 

“I turned down a $21 an hour job in St. Louis just to move to Denver—I think it was a mistake. My dad invited me to stay with him here. Turns out I couldn’t stay for long. His landlord told me I had two weeks to move out. I had nowhere else to go, so I came to Samaritan House. I was a resident for two months until I saved a little. I’ve never experienced homelessness before. It was humbling. Here I was, a 26-year-old college graduate, staying at a shelter and barely making it. There’s a lot of misconceptions about homelessness. I met some great people while at Samaritan House. I had humble beginnings myself. I was in foster care until the age of 12 when my grandmother adopted me. Now I try to help those who are homeless. I got a part-time job at Holy Rosary shelter that helps single women. I’m grateful for the work although it’s hard for me to see the difficulties these women face. I also started work as an engineer at CenturyLink. I’d like to get into hydraulic engineering, which I studied at the University of Missouri—St. Louis. Someday I’d like to find the girl of my dreams and start a family, too. I haven’t been to the mountains yet, but I plan to visit this summer.”