Hard Work Pays for Jason Stallworth

Jason Stallworth carefully cut the edge of a vinyl tile for a floor at a house in south Providence. “Sometimes those corner pieces are hard to get right,” he said, maneuvering the tile into place. The graduate of Amos House’s carpentry program, ACT, was recently hired by our home improvement business. Diligent, trustworthy are just a few words that describe his work at Amos House Builds.

Such qualities seldom form over night. Jason’s worth ethic was shaped by costly lessons in life. “You’ve got to work for the things you want, because you appreciate them more,” he shared. “When things are just given to you, you tend to not care for them.”

For ten years, careless and reckless living reaped fast and easy cash but not integrity or any sense of responsibility. Jason didn't appreciate material things because they came too easy. Three short stints at the Adult Correctional Institution changed his perspective.  When discharged last August, he began to chart a new direction for his life. He heard about the Amos Carpentry Training Program from his sister who lives near Amos House. Then he saw several students restoring a house on Pine Street. Jason talked to one and was inspired to enroll in our program.

“I wanted to have knowledge to repair my family’s house, which is older,” he whispered. “My mother always had to hire different people to come and fix things.”

Through ACT Jason learned how to use different tools, along with blueprint drafting, floor systems and other wood building skills. In April he graduated with OSHA 10 certification; a month later he began to work at Amos House Builds. “Jason is highly motivated, consistent and positive. People like him and trust him,” said Dean Martineau, Amos House Builds’ Job Manager.

Consider Paul, the 86-year-old tenant at the house in south Providence, who praised Jason and his crew for his new floors and painted hallways. “Jason makes me feel like a good friend,” he confided.

For Jason, hard work has paid off. Today he’s financially responsible and has new dreams, like owning his own company one day. “What I’m doing now is giving me hands-on knowledge, hands-on experience,” he said.