White House Author

George Gordon II is a young father who mentors other young fathers at his church. He was born in Berlin, Germany, where both of his parents were serving in the military. When his parents divorced, he was sent to live with relatives in St. Louis at age 13. He got his first job at Wal-Mart in 2007, started a relationship with a co-worker, and she gave birth to a baby boy. However, drug use drew her away from them and she left George with their two-week-old baby. George attempted to move home to Chicago to stay with his mother, but her boyfriend started selling and using drugs in their home. George and his son left, and they were taken in by a local pastor. They soon relocated to a homeless shelter sponsored by Catholic Charities in Chicago in 2009. The shelter referred George to a job training program, and eventually he was able to secure a job and apartment through Catholic Charities. He soon was in a car accident and lost his job due to missing work. He quickly found a new job, and has taken full advantage of social services available to him through Catholic Charities. For example, he is attending parenting classes and is learning to cook for his baby.