Meet Joshua. When his parents separated, he stepped up to fill in the father figure role for his eight siblings by putting food on the table and being a positive role model. It was challenging to divide the smallest of meals between the big family, but Joshua made a way. This hard time came after the family found out their father had been unfaithful, which left them heartbroken and confused. As much as the whole family hoped for reconciliation, Joshua had to take his fathers place and keep the family together. This was a sad time for everyone and Joshua found himself very discouraged.
To make ends meet, Joshua dropped out of college and went to look for a job. He found a place to work at Dignity and began to see his everyday life improve. He was encouraged by the people he met and his joy started to come back. In a time that felt very dark and heavy, Joshua shared, “Oh, it's like this here. It's beautiful here at Dignity.”
With life full of unknowns, Joshua’s work was a constant. He can’t imagine life without the peace and stability it brings. Joshua continues to dream about bettering himself and taking steps forward. And with time, change, and forgiveness, he has seen glimpses of hope in his family beginning to come together again.
