LARRY PERKINS, CLIENT

Larry Perkins grew up in a poor family with 11 brothers and sister near Shreveport, Louisiana, but he remembers always being determined to succeed. He finished high school in the top ten of his graduating class and matriculated with a full scholarship at Jackson State University in Mississippi, where he was a college All-American in track and played alto sax and trumpet in the marching band. He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management – and the heart of his college sweetheart, Cynthia.

Together, the young couple and Larry's small son, Christopher, moved to Houston, Texas, where they began a life together. Larry worked as a county data administrator and then went on earn another bachelor's degree in 1984, this time in computer science.

The young family grew with the birth of twins and soon moved out to the suburbs. With his wife's encouragement, Larry landed his dream job with IBM. The Perkins had achieved the American dream. And then it all fell apart.

After 15 years, Larry, 49, lost his job at IBM in 2007.

"My grandmother and mother always told me that God tests us in many ways," Larry said.

After a series of setbacks, Larry relocated his family back to Mississippi to settle temporarily with his wife's parents. Convinced there were more career opportunities in Atlanta, Larry boarded a Greyhound bus to the city. A friendly stranger told him about the Gateway Center.

Since March 2009, Larry has been living at the Gateway and using the job resource center to help him find opportunities and interview with prospective employers. His goal is to secure a job and a house by mid-summer 2009 and then reunite his family.

In many ways, the experience of losing his job and his home has been the most difficult of Larry's life. He pauses to reflect on leaving Houston and packing up all of the family's belongings.

"I worked so hard to get there," he says. Relocating his family with his in-laws in Mississippi also tore at his heart. In dark moments, Larry said he relies on his faith in God.

"Having faith in God is everything," Larry said. "It's not about how smart you are, or how much you have. It's between you and God."

His experience at the Gateway Center has also taught him about homelessness, and how many men – particularly men of color – can fall through society's cracks.

"I've met so many guys who've been laid off and want to work," Larry says. "I don't believe people in the city of Atlanta have any clue. The Gateway is a blueprint for what they could do if they cared about all the people affected by the economy."

He says that the past few months have been his true "job experience" – a test of his heart and his faith.

"There's no situation that a child of God can't handle."