David Traver is one of the hardest working, motivated and determined individuals you will ever have the pleasure to meet. When David sets a goal for himself, he will put all his effort into making it reality. Thanks to the wages he earns through Preferred Source employment, he has reached his ultimate goal to be self-sufficient.

David is a 52-year old gentleman who resides in his own apartment on the historic Strand in Kingston. Growing up, he suffered significant sexual, emotional, physical, and psychological abuse. Due in part to the trauma caused by these events, David suffers from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and PTSD. While he’s always had a strong work ethic and held various jobs since he was young, David’s mental health challenges caused significant barriers to maintaining employment, furthering his education, and having healthy relationships. These challenges also impeded his judgment and impulse control, and played a major role in decisions that ultimately led to incarceration.

After David served his time, he wanted to start a new chapter in his life, so he resumed mental health treatment and rejoined sobriety support groups. He enrolled in Gateway Hudson Valley’s Workforce One, as he needed employment and wanted the assistance of vocational supports. David’s goals were to find full-time employment, advance to a supervisory position, purchase a vehicle, and maintain his own apartment. Within several months, he accomplished each goal. He would never have been able to fulfill the last two without the wages he earns from NYSID opportunities.

David was hired part-time by Gateway Custom Cleaning in 2018. His attitude, skills, excellent work performance, and flexibility earned him additional hours and he was assigned to several NYSID contracts. He eventually became the working supervisor for these contracts. At that time, David chose to forego Social Security benefits to instead work full-time. He would not have been able to make this choice if he wasn’t being paid prevailing wages on NYSID contracts. He was becoming financially self-sufficient, which included the ability to purchase a safe, reliable vehicle.

In the past year, David averaged 35 hours per week and earned a living wage to meet his monthly living expenses, pay for his cell phone, maintain his car, and shop and dine out in his local community. His current goal is to maintain his present position and work on additional NYSID contracts, with an eye toward a promotion to manager. He would also like to own a bed-and-breakfast, and hire people with disabilities as his employees, and then give some proceeds to charitable purposes.