Nurse was living in a truck when she walked in for an interview — her new boss knew hiring her wasn't enough

Jovanda Taylor had been living in her truck for over a month when she walked into Maison de Lafayette in search of work. She had no permanent address, no stable income, and no place to go at the end of the day. So when she applied for a job, she didn’t expect to walk out with both the job and a safe place to sleep. Taylor, originally from Louisiana, moved to Houston after her mother passed away. "I just wanted to start something new," she told KATC, a local news outlet. She hoped to find better job opportunities, but her Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification didn’t transfer across state lines, KATC reports. She explained that Texas was "too fast-paced" for them, so they moved back to Louisiana.

But things didn't go as planned. She said, "We couldn’t find any work. We would go to food pantries. That was our excitement. Other than that, I couldn’t really do much because I didn’t know the area. It was a new process for me." She and her boyfriend, Kevin Washington, ended up living out of their truck with their two dogs. She told KATC, "We would move all the front seats and position them so we would be able to sleep in. So we would put everything to the back, pad this out, and this will be our bedroom for the night." With no luck in Louisiana, they came to Lafayette and kept applying. Taylor said she filled out over 20 applications. "I was about to give up, but I continued to apply, and I got a call back from Maison de Lafayette," she said.

She cleaned herself up at a rest stop and went in to apply. Wendy King, the hiring manager, noticed that Taylor didn't add a permanent address while filling out the application. Taylor said she had to put her pride aside. She explained, "I pulled her to the side and said, 'I’m homeless, living in my truck, and I need help.'" King sat down with her and gave her the contact information of Terrance St. Julian, who runs Pay It Forward, Lending A Helping Hand, a local nonprofit organization that helps unhoused residents. "I called him. The company paid for us to be in a hotel for a month, and I also got the job," Taylor said, holding back tears.

Terry Gros, an administrator at Maison de Lafayette, helped coordinate the support. He said, "She was in dire straits. Obviously, she and her partner needed more than just a job; they needed a way to be safe. We asked what she needed, and we mobilized resources to support her." Taylor started work the following Monday. She said, "I’ve been trying so hard to land something. To walk in here and fill the void that we needed—just a big blessing." King later said, "I’m so glad we gave Jovanda a chance." Gros added that what happened was exactly what the facility strives to be about: helping neighbors in need. Taylor and Washington are now looking for an apartment and working to get back on their feet. She said, "I can’t thank them enough for doing that for us. I really appreciate it."