"We help a lot of people... If we can't help you, we'll refer to another agency or someone who can."
Five years ago, Jose walked into Catholic Charities in Bakersfield to get food from our food pantry and a fresh start.
At the time, he recently submit a job application to work as a truck driver for our agency and thought he would use the opportunity to follow up. "I asked the person that was attending to [my wife and I], 'Did you guys get a chance to review my application?'"
After the staff member tried to inquire about it internally, Jose and his wife decided to leave.
As they were leaving, "the site director at the time came out and called out to me," Jose recalled. "She asked me, 'Did you put in an application for a truck driver? Because I just put in the paperwork to [hire] a truck driver.'"
By what can only be described as divine timing, he was hired and has been an invaluable part of our team ever since.
"Right place at the right time," Jose says.
Today, he drives our distribution truck, delivering food and hope to the very people who are walking paths he wants knew.
As Jose puts it simply: "We help a lot of people... If we can't help you, we'll refer to another agency or someone who can."
Catholic Charities is full of stories like Jose’s, stories of redemption, purpose, and lives transformed through compassion. Because when you give people a chance, they often turn around and become the ones who give the most.
