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From Homeless to Housed
How a news reporter, non-profit and PR team changed a life
By Heather Austin, Principal
Twelve months ago, Marc was beginning a new chapter of his life. Today, he is celebrating something he once thought might be out of reach: one full year of stable employment and housing.
Marc's journey to stability was not easy. For more than a decade, he worked as a long-haul truck driver in Texas. When his marriage fell apart, he turned to alcohol to cope with the pain. Eventually, a DUI cost him his CDL, his career, and the stability he had worked so hard to build.
Determined to change the course of his life, Marc got sober and committed himself to a fresh start.
After moving to Arizona to stay with family, Marc eventually found himself without housing and sleeping outside near a Family Dollar store in Phoenix. While looking for a way forward, he saw an ABC 15 news story coordinated by PR firm The Ferraro Group about Entryway – a national non-profit workforce development, employment, and housing program – and decided to apply. Entryway Arizona Executive Director, Mandy Porter-Griffith, secured Marc a spot at Rosalie’s Place, a workforce shelter operated by St. Vincent de Paul, where he began rebuilding his life from the ground up.
Despite having limited technology skills and no experience using many of the tools required for today's job search, Marc showed up every day ready to learn. Through Entryway, he enrolled in the Make-Ready Maintenance training program hosted by real estate development and property management company PB Bell, and supported by local staffing agency, The Phoenix Staffing. Both organizations invested in Marc's success, helping him overcome challenges and build confidence along the way.
In June 2025, Marc was hired by PB Bell as a Make-Ready Technician. One year later, he remains employed, housed, and thriving.
"Working here has been absolutely wonderful," Marc shared. "I've finally been able to save money, and I'm so grateful to no longer be living in a shelter."
Over the last year, Marc has accomplished far more than maintaining employment. He purchased a vehicle, obtained health insurance through his employer, and even purchased burial insurance, something he jokes most people don't think about but that represented an important step toward long-term security and planning for the future. More importantly, Marc says he has regained something that homelessness had taken from him: his confidence.
"I have gained so much stability and confidence," he said. "Starting out in a shelter at my age really took away my confidence. I feel great now."
Marc's story is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to rebuild. Through determination, hard work, and the support of employers willing to provide an opportunity, Marc transformed a period of homelessness and uncertainty into a future filled with stability, purpose, and hope.
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