Staying up all night at the train station and in parks left a homeless Eduardo Pagan exhausted. During the day, he slept on the wooden couch at the Worcester Youth Center — just long enough to boost his energy to get through another day.

“It was a safe haven for me when I was going through homelessness, hopelessness, depression and many other challenges that the youth in Worcester have difficulty overcoming,” he said.

Staff at the Youth Center, particularly Roberto Diaz and Esayas Wureta, encouraged Eduardo to find a job, but that wasn’t his primary concern. “My focus was on housing,” he said.

His homelessness, which began in 2008, ended in 2010 when Esayas worked with Worcester Community Housing Resources and found a rooming house where Eduardo could live.

The support of the staff also helped him with a part-time job at Radio Shack. “They pushed me and pushed me to do better,” said Eduardo, now program manager of Friendly House in Worcester.

While working part time, he became certified as a medical assistant and landed a job at Family Health Center in Worcester. Promoted to health educator, he began working with the HIV population. He was running groups and visiting health centers to educate the public about HIV when he developed an interest in human services work. Spotting an ad for a position as case manager at Friendly House, he applied for the job and was hired. In early 2019, he was promoted from case manager to program manager. His experience at the Youth Center had prepared him well.

To Eduardo, the Center gave him the foundation on which to build his life and career.

“Once I got going, it just kept climbing from there,” he said.

He shared some advice for other youth in need of services at the Worcester Youth Center: “Never underestimate your power to change yourself. Never underestimate your skills and capabilities, and do not be afraid nor embarrassed to reach out to the staff at the Worcester Youth Center. Once you do, I promise they will move mountains for you. Nevertheless, be patient, because patience will produce results.”