Help Celestine Get His CDL to Support His Family

The other day, I was approached by a man in Whole Foods who asked me to buy him some food. My initial reaction was to avoid him because that’s what you do when you see a homeless person. But I couldn’t help feeling a tug in my heart to help him that said “just buy him a meal.” I agreed and he got himself some food that he said he needed to take his medication. While waiting in line, I asked him what his name was and he said “Cele” which is short for Celestine. I introduced myself and I asked him where he was from. He said he is originally from Ghana, but he came to the US in 2012 looking for better opportunities for his family. He said that before COVID, he was lucky enough to stay in a shelter, but now he does not have anywhere to stay. I invited him to mass at the Newman Center and he revealed that he was born and raised Catholic. He began to share how his faith has been tested enormously through all that he has experienced. He expressed his dreams of getting his Commercial Driver’s License so he could become a driver to make enough money to provide for his family in Africa. He said he just needed to find a sponsor and I asked him what he needed for that. He told me he needed someone to sponsor between $5000 and $9000 to pay for the CDL training. All I could think of was the hundreds of people who generously support me in my mission and I told Celestine I would try to help him in any way I could. I paid for his meal, exchanged numbers with him, and asked him to send me some information about himself.

I don’t know why I ran into this kind man on a random day in Whole Foods. I initially thought of the uncomfortable inconvenience it was to pay $30 for this man’s meal. But I couldn’t help but think the whole time, “how would Jesus treat this man?” Jesus could probably offer a lot of healing and eternal salvation, which is something I cannot offer. But I do know that God has given me an amazing support team of mission partners and an opportunity to help a man in need, a brother in Christ, in a very tangible way. Many times I worry that giving my money to the homeless will only lead to bad things, but this man, Celestine, was filled with pure goodness. And all he could talk about was getting his CDL training so he could provide for his family. I don’t know if you can help. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t go this far, but wouldn’t Jesus go this far? So here I am, writing to you about a man I just met who just touched my heart that I couldn’t leave him without offering something more. And I am asking you to help in any way that you can so that Celestine can get back up on his feet and provide for his family.

Words from Celestine: "My name is Celestine, I humbly plead for any amount of financial help towards my burning ambition to go to a truck driving school in order to obtain the Class A CDL license and other necessary qualifications to become a country wide truck driver. I have a perfect driving license And no criminal record whatsoever which qualifies me to be a candidate of truck driving School. The cost of the truck driving school, exams, fees and other necessary qualifications is between 5,000 to 9,000 dollars. I desperately need to obtain this Truck Driving License because it's a rewarding career and it will help me to take care of my children, family members, including my widowed, aged mother, all of whom are going through a lot of hardship and poverty in Africa."