When Bryon became a Volunteers of America client in
January 2006, he had already faced many hardships.
His life began in St.
Louis. He decided to join the U.S. Air Force as a
supply clerk in 1986 to be able to travel and make a good living. His first
duty station was Nellis AFB, near Las
Vegas. He said he didn’t gamble much while he was
there but says he loved the cheap seafood buffets the casinos had.
After Nellis AFB he was stationed in Germany. While
there he got engaged to Lawanna Thomas and had a son with her, Jonathon Ryan
Thomas. He says what happened to him next was the biggest heartbreak of his
life and he feels this is what caused his life to spiral downwards. His fiancé
and newborn son were flying home to the United
States from Germany when they were killed in the
bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988.
He got out of the military in 1990 and worked several jobs.
His last job prior to moving to Knoxville was in
Alabama. He
was a factory worker and the factory closed. Bryon lost everything he had. He
spent some time being homeless in St. Louis
before taking a bus to Knoxville.
He says moving to Knoxville
helped him steer his life in the right direction. Upon arriving in Knoxville he stayed at the Salvation Army. A
friend there told him about Volunteers of America. With our assistance, he was
able to get clothes appropriate for job interviews and bus passes to help him
get from one job interview to another.
Through riding the bus he found out about employment opportunities at
Knoxville Area Transit, also known as KAT. He soon got a job there as a bus
driver and he says he loves it. He says he has a bumper sticker that says “ My
other car is a KAT!”, which he plans to put on his new car. Once he saved
enough for the deposits on a place of his own to live, he moved out of the
Salvation Army and now lives with his new fiancé and her two small daughters.
He says he loves the two little girls and wants to be a good role model for
them.
His determination to overcome the many challenges life has
given him makes him a true success.