Former Inmate Now Helps Others

Jamel Houston, at left, has had a tough life. He's had a gambling addiction, been in prison and lived in a half-way house at Stewart-Marchman. It was very discouraging looking for a job, especially being an ex-offender, Houston said recently. But with the help of Stewart-Marchman, and Chavis Williams, employment security specialist at the Daytona One-Stop, Houston's life has changed. He has a job as shift manager at Five Guys in Orange City and a car to drive to work. He recently traveled to Tallahassee to testify before the House Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee about the need for more funding for correctional and rehabilitation programs. As a result, legislators are proposing doubling the number of new beds requested for treatment programs statewide. Stewart-Marchman CEO Chet Bell was with Houston to support his request for more services. At the One-Stop Employment Center, Williams assisted Houston using many of the center's resources including funding for Jamel to purchase uniform items to begin new employment. You may have read or heard about Jamel in area newspapers and on local TV stations. He's just one of the many success stories from the One-Stop Employment Division, which has offices in Daytona Beach, DeLand and Flagler. Each site has many services and classes to aid the unemployed in their job searches. More information can be found at http://www.onestops.com/