“This is the reinvention of me, going back to work and getting a living wage.”

Thomas decided to shed his old life when he found himself living in a shed behind his friend’s house. For assistance, he turned to the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families, which helped him earn licenses in electrical, plumbing, HVAC and low- and high-pressure boilers. After studying the field, he chose to pursue welding. Thomas graduated in May from DMACC with a welding diploma.