Rodney’s story is truly an inspirational one. He came to Pinellas Hope in March 2018 after being hit by a motorcycle. The accident caused considerable damage to his right arm which resulted in the loss of use of his arm and hand. Before coming to Pinellas Hope he and his family was struggling as stress took a toll on his life. At the time of the accident, Rodney was living with his young daughter and her mother. After the accident, with Rodney unable to work, they were forced to move out of state and he has not seen them since.

Ultimately, Rodney rebounded. He didn’t allow all these hardships and stresses to get him down or slow him down. He decided to take the accident and use it as an opportunity. He taught himself to write again with his left hand. Prior to his accident he was a talented artist and skilled in cutting men’s hair. So, what did he do? He taught himself to draw and cut hair again all with his left arm. His positive spirit continued, as he worked through the Pinellas Hope program to successfully completed his High School diploma (GED) through our on-site partnership with Pinellas County schools. He is now enrolled in barber class at Pinellas Technical College!

Rodney is diligently searching for employment but has found it difficult to land a job due to his physical limitation. He is not letting this get him down and he continues to apply for employment while working with Vocational Rehabilitation to improve the use of his left arm and hand. Rodney is undoubtedly bound for success and most importantly continually expresses his gratitude and thankfulness for what he has despite how much he has lost. That is truly inspirational.