Cordaro gripped the steering wheel with anticipation. With the written exam out of the way, all he needed to do was pass the driving test to secure his license. Encouraged by his Employment Specialist – and thanks to a Chrysalis scholarship to cover the cost – Cordaro was motivated to take the wheel both literally and figuratively when it came to his future.
After his first attempt, he passed, and Cordaro received a driver’s license for the first time at 30 years old.
Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, where a soundtrack of gunshots and helicopters seemed to play on repeat, Cordaro struggled to find the motivation to steer his life in any particular direction. “I ran the streets. I wasn’t motivated to work – that was my life.” But when a 6-year prison sentence stopped him in his tracks, Cordaro’s eyes were opened to a very stark reality. “The first night that door closed on me, and I knew I was stuck, I was like, ‘Man, I messed up.’”
With a young daughter and another on the way, Cordaro was ready to make a change.
Referred to Chrysalis by Amity Foundation, Cordaro came through our Downtown center doors with the determination to turn things around. He had heard good things about Chrysalis from other program participants, and he was ready to utilize every resource necessary to get a job and build a better life for himself and his family. He fondly reflects the consistent encouragement he received from his Employment Specialist, “I was excited that somebody else was excited for me and wanted me to do something productive. I needed that extra push.”
As he worked to complete Chrysalis’ job preparation courses, Cordaro’s Employment Specialist identified him as a strong candidate for Chrysalis Roads. One of Chrysalis’ three social enterprises, Roads provides transitional job opportunities to individuals on parole or probation while they continue their search for employment with ongoing support from their case manager.
Cordaro was soon hired to join the Admiral crew, which provides litter abatement services and brush maintenance to L.A.’s freeways. Admiral is one of six Roads crews across L.A. County staffed and managed by Chrysalis – all of which are very intentionally named after a species of butterfly. Launched in November 2017 by Caltrans and the Mayor’s Office of Reentry, the program will help over 1,000 formerly incarcerated Angelenos get on a pathway to self-sufficiency.
Enamored with the work culture and the people with whom he shared his day, Cordaro applied to become a Roads Supervisor. At the same time, Chrysalis’ Direct Hire program – a division of our Staffing social enterprise – identified an open position at the Larder Bakery. Cordaro was all ears. “I was pumped to work. Nothing was going to keep me from getting a job.”
Cordaro showed up early for a trial shift at the bakery with his head held high, motivated to change the trajectory of his life. That same day, the hiring manager offered him the position. “I called my girl, and I told her, ‘Baby, I got the job!’ Best feeling ever.”
More than a year later, Cordaro continues to grow at Larder Bakery. When he is not at work, he spends time with his wife and daughters and develops his plan to launch an organization that educates and empowers young men and women in the community in which he grew up. With support from Chrysalis, Cordaro turned the key, changed his future, and found the dignity and stability that come with having a job. We commend him for his success, and we look forward to the continued impact he will have on the lives of those around him.