LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- What was once a cycle of crime and instability has now turned into a celebration of progress and hope for dozens of young adults in Louisville.

Donte Taylor, 24, and Geraldine Reed, 22, say their lives looked very different not long ago.

“I’d still be serving time now to this day,” Taylor said.

Reed echoed that sentiment.

“I would probably be dead, honestly. Probably locked up,” she said.

Both faced serious challenges — homelessness, time in foster care, the death of loved ones and a lack of employment. Reed described being in and out of shelters and struggling just to survive.

Taylor said legal troubles followed him early in life.

“Yeah, I’m a felon. But afterwards, I got pointed in the right direction from the foster care agency itself,” he said.

That direction led them to The Spot — also known as Goodwill’s Young Adult Opportunity Center. It’s a program designed to help at-risk youth get back on track through education, job training and emotional support.

“I’ve avoided being in trouble for the last two, three years,” Taylor said. “That’s a record.”

Last week, Taylor, Reed and more than 230 others walked across the stage in caps and gowns during the organization’s annual graduation ceremony.

For many, it was more than just a ceremony.

“It definitely doesn’t define them,” said Sara Stumph, operations manager at Goodwill. “We teach them that. I firmly believe in second chances, and I’m lucky enough to work for an organization that believes in second chances.”

Stumph said the program is helping to reduce crime and offer brighter futures by providing GED access, high school diplomas through Goodwill’s Excel Center, and workforce training.

“Right now, I’m attending the OSHA 30 class,” Taylor said, referencing a federal occupational safety course that can lead to well-paying jobs.

He credits The Spot with transforming his future — and his dreams.

“I’m still living it,” he said. “But it feels great to be working toward it, because it’s only gonna grow and get bigger.”

To learn more about The Spot, click here.

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