News

By Donna Olendorf

Communications Chair

 

Justin Kinsella’s journey through homelessness began with a house fire. In 2023, his parents’ house burned down, and when the rebuilding project was almost finished, they told him to leave. They had rebuilt the family home without a room for him. He was 19 years old. 

 

Not knowing what to do, he contacted his therapist, who managed to get him a bed at Safe Harbor. Over the next two years, Justin made connections that helped him move toward the path he is now following: serving as a tour guide at Yellowstone National Park, a position he started last April. In this role, he escorts visitors around the park in a historic yellow bus, introducing them to lesser-known areas and offering a new perspective on Yellowstone’s most popular landmarks.

 

“Not many people that came from where I came from get an opportunity like this,” said Justin, now 21. “I feel lucky. I earned this by working hard, but I also had a lot of people who helped me lay the foundation to get my dream job.”

 

Navigating the system 

 

Justin says the hardest part of becoming homeless was not knowing what to do: “I didn’t have a working car, I was low on money, and it was the coldest day of the year.”  

 

At 19, he was still discovering who he was, but it was hard to figure that out while also contemplating where he was going to get his next meal and sleep at night.

 

Then, he met a Safe Harbor volunteer who had a seasonal job at Xanterra Travel and learned that the company provided food and housing. 

 

“So, I inquired,” he said, adding that he “did not get any jobs the first round.” 

 

But a seed had been planted, and Justin made up his mind to keep trying. 

 

Building momentum through small turning points

 

He eventually got a job at GT Carpet Cleaners. 

 

“It was a great way to get unstuck,” he said. “Instead of walking around Traverse City all day, I had a job. I had responsibilities.”  

 

Another milestone was getting housing.  

 

“Goodwill’s programs for youth and their general housing program helped me get back on my feet,” he said. “The people at Jubilee House and Central Church also helped me realize that things weren’t hopeless, that I was capable of a lot more than I assumed.”

 

He decided to work at Great Wolf Lodge and at Leelanau State Park to build up his resume.  

 

“When I became a park ranger at Leelanau State Park, that was a huge indicator for me that I could do this, and the career wasn’t out of my reach,” he said. “The state park job was an hour’s drive away. Basically, it was a way to beef up my resume and gain experience for what would hopefully be my actual job … I was working 80 to 100 hours a week. All last summer I was very busy. Non-stop.”

 

Getting his dream job

 

And when he applied to Xanterra for the second round, he heard back immediately: “I had applied for multiple jobs, and they asked me which one I wanted most since I was so qualified. I said ‘tour guide.’ They made me an offer right there on the phone. It didn’t feel real. I started in early April.”

 

Now he is looking into making another step forward on his career path. 

 

“I received certification from the National Association for Interpretation which has a lot of credibility in the tour guide industry. I might work for Krueger National Park in South Africa next year,” he said.

 

Advice for others

 

When asked what he wished people understood about being homeless, Justin said he wished people would understand that it is not laziness. 

 

“It is people who feel they can’t do anything because people tell them they can’t do anything, and the more that the stigma builds, the more hopeless they feel,” he said.

 

The advice he offers is grounded in the resilience he experienced on his own journey. 

 

“If you try, it is indeed possible to break the cycle. You are the only limitation holding you back. Ignore the naysayers and all those thoughts in your head that say you can't do it. Then nothing can stop you.”