Peter - Milwaukee Community Service Corps (MCSC)
In late 2020 amidst all the chaos of the COVID pandemic, Peter was released from 14 months in prison. During his incarceration he was in forced recovery for his addiction, so when he was released he had to make a critical choice, would he choose sobriety or another downward spiral into life wrecking addiction? Peter chose recovery and joined a 12-step program. In his straightforward way, he says, “I will forever be in recovery. Recovery is lifelong.”
In November, Peter made another important decision. At the suggestion of his FSET Case Manager, he enrolled in Milwaukee Community Service Corps’ (MCSC) HVAC training program. On his first day of training, Peter shared his barriers to success including lack of - food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and financial skills. Tanya, MCSC’s Case Manager, worked with Peter to tackle his barriers, and one-by-one he overcame them.
Peter dove into training. He earned his first industry-recognized credentials, CPR/ADE and OSHA 10 in November. In December, he completed the HVAC credential, and in January earned his Forklift certification.
Next, Peter chose to join MCSC’s Work Projects Program where he earned $11 an hour, while gaining hands-on work experience in a variety of jobs at different worksites. Peter did such a great job that he was quickly promoted to Crew Leader. In February he was promoted to a Crew Supervisor position at MCSC, where he is earning $18/hr. Recognizing his skills and ability to work well with new trainees, Peter has also been chosen to assist in teaching Forklift training.