At just 13 years old, Tristyn became a caregiver for his family. Today, at 19, he’s learning how to care for himself. Growing up life was not easy on Tristyn. He lost his dad when he was 10 years old and his mom battled a long string of debilitating health problems for the majority of Tristyn’s life. Income and support were sparse for the three of them and as his mom’s health continued to decline over the years, ultimately confining her to a wheelchair, Tristyn became the one taking care of her, his younger brother, and their house.
“I had to start a more care provider role and slowly it went from not wanting to do chores and stuff like that and having to do them to being the being the guy who takes care of the cooking, the cleaning, taking care of my younger brother.” Tristyn said. “And eventually it got to a point where I was doing a lot of the driving in the last two years, taking my mom to her appointments and making sure she didn’t forget.”
His teen years were a mix of hospital visits for his mom, looking after his brother and trying not to lose their housing, all while still making his way through high school. Unfortunately, the strain on his mom’s body became too much and she passed away late last year. Tristyn lost his biggest supporter in life. Suddenly he needed to find a way to care for himself. While his younger brother went out of state to live with his grandparents, Tristyn wanted to stay, forcing him to find his way on his own.
That’s when he found The Well.
The staff at The Well in Fairfield came alongside Tristyn, heard his story and saw his need for guidance and for a job. Tristyn was a great candidate for The Well Works program, but first he needed to graduate from high school. He started working in Well Works part time at the beginning of this year while he finished school. After celebrating his graduation, the team welcomed him to The Well full time. They have been able to continue to support Tristyn as he navigates having a job for the first time and is learning the basic skills that come with becoming an adult.
“I’ve learned how to budget, how to set aside money for things that I want and to make sure that I prioritize the things that I need to,” Tristyn said about working at The Well. “Being able to work here at The Well where I can make a few mistakes without being without a job, it’s been probably the best situation I could have asked for.”
Tristyn now has a bigger community supporting him than ever before and is working towards building a stable future for himself. While his story is unique to him, many people in our communities face circumstances or challenges that make getting or keeping a job difficult. At Well Works we help people learn how to find a job and successfully stay employed through relationship, grace, accountability, discipline and respect. Once they complete the program, we support them through the job search process until they are gainfully employed in the community. We are always looking for people who are ready to transform their life through Well Works. If this program may be beneficial to you or someone you know please apply or refer them to apply through our website.
If you feel compelled to support financially, please consider donating to The Well. Works program candidates are paid an hourly rate along with a financial support package and we largely rely on the support of donors for the funding and growth of the program. Our goals are big, we believe everyone was created by God with purpose and we desire for everyone to have the opportunity to get the help or second chance in life that they may need. We belive that as lives are transformed, communities will be transformed too.
To learn more about Well Works or apply: https://thewelliowa.org/well-works/
To donate to The Well: https://thewelliowa.org/donate/
To volunteer with Well Works: https://thewelliowa.org/volunteer/
