I’ve got to make something happen not for my sake but the sake of my son.
Applying a white coat of paint to the rungs of the Sasha Bruce House stairwell bannister, eighteen-year-old Daniel Winstead made the National Day of Service a big part of his big weekend.
Winstead came to the Bruce House for his family. His story differs from those of most of the day’s volunteers, but it embodies the spirit of the day and of SBY as a whole.
Winstead found his way to SBY through tragedy. A fire recently destroyed his apartment, where he lived with his sister. Having lost his clothes, his shoes, and his walls, Winstead took to sleeping outside, snatching hours between school days. Winstead went to his guidance counselor, who told him about SBY.
Daniel (right) with a volunteer on National Service Day
“We called up Sasha Bruce and made sure I knew the rules and regulations” said Winstead.
He moved in just days before the Day of Service. He hopes to stay until he can get back on his feet, and then after his high school graduation, he plans to attend trade school to become a welder. It is family that is driving Winstead to stay on track with his goal.
“I’m living for my child,” he said. “I’m seeing life as a bigger picture. I want to do [for my son] what my dad never did for me. I’ve got to make something happen not for my sake but the sake of my son.”
