Community is a healing balm.
Community and care are interwoven together, and it’s apparent that Skye has seen their share of support from their people. Though reserved, Skye is proud to talk about how they were referred to Wildflyer by a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend. “I think it was my roommate's sister’s friend who told her about the program, and then she (my roommate) told me. And that level of community is something I never experienced back home.”
Skye moved to Minnesota in 2024 from Arkansas. Like many individuals in states with restrictive laws for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, they couldn’t find their people and felt actively unsafe. “There wasn’t anywhere to exist comfortably, to be myself,” they said. “In my small town there aren't any coffee shops or community-led spaces that we can hang out in.” So off they went, traveling far north to Minnesota and landing in Minneapolis. Skye’s previous job was in food service, and they were excited to experience that camaraderie again. Once that friend told them about Wildflyer, they knew it was where they belonged.
“I used to walk right by the Minneapolis location all the time on the way to get groceries!” They laugh. “When I first walked in here for the cohort interview, it felt so warm and comforting. After the interviews, especially getting to know Jupiter, I immediately knew what the vibe of the place was going to be, and it was immaculate!” I ask them if that sentiment stayed throughout their experience in the cohort. They laughed again. “I had a feeling that the folks here were really going to care for each other, be kind, and it truly ended up being all of those things and more.”
They share with me that during one of their interviews, a pipe burst behind the bar. They recall how the full staff immediately jumped into action to help one another figure it out. “No yelling, no antagonizing, nothing! Just laughter and aid. It was such a good sign,” they tell me. As one of the individuals who was on the floor with a towel during that situation, I remember how worried we all were but how measured and collected the baristas handled the situation; that was pretty exceptional.
We grab our drinks from another cohort member at the bar, and Skye shares how much more confident they feel now after the program. “I’m not generally very good at talking to strangers and specifically putting myself out there,” they start. “Being at the register and working with my colleagues helped me branch out! I’m calling out orders confidently, engaging with customers, and generally feeling more comfortable as myself.” I ask if that comfort stems from their experiences with other places and spaces. Skye tells me that their view of experiencing homelessness might be different from others and that their comfort has usually stemmed from a confidence and an ability to show up as their full self, without stereotypes or pre-conceieved notions from others.
“A big thing that I think is important around people’s perception of homelessness is how it’s tied to the job market intrinsically. The job market in general is the worst it’s been since the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Most folks in middle level jobs don't have jobs because they don't exist anymore - they’ve been outsourced or completely gotten rid of the job functions. We’re seeing companies paying minimum wage for a job where you once needed your masters to even qualify. And the kicker? There’s not a lot of true entry-level jobs for young people where the pay reflects the cost of living.”
We both sigh, a world-weary expense of breath. “At the end of the day, a home for me is where I can sleep, be comfortable, and have my stuff without threat of it being taken or lost to me. Somewhere safe. And Wildflyer has helped me achieve that.”
It’s always bittersweet chatting with cohorts so close to their graduation. Even if they’re heading into our Alumni Program, there’s a change. And yet, graduation is so incredibly exciting and important! I ask Skye how they feel entering the workforce, especially noting how the job market’s looking.
“I am more than prepared! I feel really good, well prepared, excited, and could do the basic functions of most every job. Especially customer service!” It’s infectious how exciting they are. I ask what’s next - and they surprise me by going way out of food service with their answer; “I’m really passionate about tech recycling and repair,” they tell me. “Not only because the price of electronics is steep, but because repairing and recycling is more important than ever with the rising electronic waste from around the world. I would love to have a low-cost repair shop that’s able to fix whatever's brought in!”
I immediately ask if they can fix my personal computer’s sticky keys, and they tell me that’s small potatoes compared to what they can do. Skye’s been taking apart and fixing video game controllers this whole cohort, and has gotten pretty good at it. They’re thrilled to take their skills from Wildflyer and apply it to a tech servicing job, which I find pretty dang exceptional.
When asked what graduating the program at Wildflyer meant to them, Skye didn't talk first about coffee or job skills. They talked about the community.
“I moved to Minnesota kind of by myself. But now? I have so many people on my team. The staff, the other cohort members—now alumni—and the people in the community who root for us. I started out without the built-in connections that a lot of folks have, but Wildflyer changed that."
Here’s to you, Skye. We cannot wait to see where life takes you.