Jerry Elliott

When Jerry Elliott was 10 years old, both of his parents passed away. Jerry and his younger sister moved in with their grandmother and both eventually stopped going to school.

After taking care of them proved to be too much, his grandmother gave them up for adoption. At the age of 15, he was adopted by a family from Cleveland, Ohio.

Jerry decided to move to Cincinnati after graduating from high school. He struggled to find any sort of permanence in his life. At the age of 18, he found himself without a job and without a place to call home.

After living on his friends’ couches for a period of time, Jerry realized he needed to find more stability.

He was doing some carpentry work when he learned about YouthBuild. He was interested in getting more hands on experience, so he enrolled.

After his time at YouthBuild, he enrolled with Building Value. Both of the programs provided him with the support network and resources he needed to succeed.

He now works at Messer Construction and is able to support his young family.

Jerry was awarded the Spirit of Easterseals Award at the 2016 Brighter Futures Celebration.