Gary grew up in Los Angeles, California. Gary is part of an exclusive group of students who were awarded a scholarship from the Posse Foundation, which aims to create leaders of individual and community change. This scholarship brought Gary to Madison, Wisconsin where he would attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. However, Gary explained that due to battling mental health issues, his goals got interrupted and he ended up in and out of the educational system, eventually falling into homelessness.

Gary spent months on the streets, until thankfully, a friend pointed Gary in the direction of Porchlight’s Safe Haven shelter. Gary utilized Safe Haven’s day shelter until he got accepted for housing there in the Fall of 2017.  Gary, determined to finish his education, acquired a job at Madison Fresh Market where he continues to work today as a Produce Associate.

Richard, a Naval Air Corps Veteran and the Kitchen Manager at our Veteran’s site has been with Porchlight for almost five years. After moving back to Madison in 2018 he found himself staying in a hotel that cost him the last $800 he had. All he had left was the tank of gas in his car and the few belongings that were piled in the back seat.

On his second day back in Madison, he got a job working in the kitchen at Safe Haven, Porchlight’s daytime shelter. Shortly thereafter, Richard was accepted into the Veteran’s Transitional Housing Program where he would begin his journey to the successful life he is living now. After being in the program for 18 months, he transitioned into housing of his own at our Thierer Rd. campus, until he was able to save and purchase a home in 2024. He transitioned from being a part-time kitchen worker to a Kitchen Lead in January of 2022.

Then, when the Kitchen Manager opening came up in August of 2022 at the Veteran’s site, Richard applied, interviewed, and was hired. Richard has a real interest in food and healthy, nutritious eating, as well as Eastern medicine and massage. All of these interests serve him well while carrying out his duties in the kitchen. He has greatly improved the meal service at his site and the residents are happy to have him there. He’s not only been diligent in his work with us but also has been writing eclectic fiction and has been renovating his home!