Walking in Their Shoes
by Charlotte Skipper
At 15 years old, most teenagers are focused on keeping their grades up, finding time for extracurricular activities, and hanging out with friends.
But at that age, Britt Johnson was responsible for keeping his family afloat. Britt, his three younger siblings, and their mother were homeless and living in their car. That’s when he decided to drop out of high school to take care of them.
Even though he dreamed of college, Britt knew he needed to make sacrifices to keep his loved ones safe and healthy.
“I thought, ‘I’m the only one who’s going to be able to do this,’” he says. “So I put everything I was going to do on hold, and I made sure I was just focused on working and providing for my family.”
Britt found jobs in quick service restaurants and was able to make ends meet. As his family’s situation improved, he was able to help his siblings reach their educational goals. More than 16 years later, Britt found himself leading quick service restaurants that were turning a hefty profit – and yet, he wasn’t truly fulfilled.
“A part of me knew that was not what I wanted to do with my life,” says Britt. “That’s not where I was meant to be, and I needed to make a change.”
Lift off to the Future
In 2020, at 34 years old, Britt completed his GED in just 30 days and enrolled at Seminole State College, joining The Grindle Honors Institute – a program focused on enriched learning opportunities for academically motivated students.
“Seminole State is where I discovered what I wanted to do,” says Britt. “I discovered my passions and finally understood what I wanted for my future. I had full support of the staff and professors. It was a launching pad to everything I am today.”
Although his original plan was a career in legal services, his involvement in Seminole State’s Grindle Honors Institute shifted his goals once again. What started as a 20-hour volunteering requirement led Britt to becoming the executive director of Christian HELP Employment & Resource Center. The Casselberry-based nonprofit focuses on preventing homelessness by helping people find employment, resources, and spiritual encouragement.
“I can guarantee I would not have become the executive director at Christian HELP had it not been for that 20-hour program requirement,” he says.
Everything Happens for a Reason
Britt started at the front desk five years ago and worked his way up the ladder, holding nearly every position the organization has to offer. As someone who knows how it feels to be on the other side of the desk receiving services, he is using his own experiences to understand Christian HELP’s clientele on a deeper level.
“From the start, I saw my mom in the women that were coming in, and I saw myself in the children that accompanied them,” says Britt. “I’ve experienced the same things many of the people we see are going through.”
He believes everything in his life happened in the order it did for a reason. When Britt saw his family prosper because of his sacrifices as a teen, he knew he’d made the right decisions.
“Some decisions in life can either make you or break you, depending on your perspective or your determination,” says Britt. “Your journey is your journey, and you can’t compare yours to anyone else’s.”