Michael Pilling leaves the Foothills Emergency Shelter at 5:30 a.m. for the 15-minute walk to his furnace delivery job.
He's been in and out of shelters since a substance abuse problem crumbled his 23-year marriage about three years ago. But when he arrived at the Foothills shelter this winter, he jumped at the chance for full-time employment and has been on the job since Dec. 10.
"There are lots of opportunities up here," said Pilling, 49.
Within two months, the ticketed heavy equipment operator hopes to have enough cash stashed away to afford his own place to live.
"I am so close to obtaining a place," said Pilling, who started out at $16 an hour and is anticipating a $2 raise.
Pilling is one of 65 shelter clients who have found employment in the industrial area since the shelter opened its doors in November.
Though some nearby businesses initially said they feared increased crime with overnight clients moving into the area, so far, there have been only minor hitches along the road, said Diana Schwenk, spokeswoman for the Mustard Seed, which operates the shelter.
In fact, the job bonanza, prodded by a job fair held at the shelter in December, has delighted officials and clients, she said.
"I don't think any of us imagined what a unique partnership that could become," Schwenk said
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