Humans of GLISS Blog
Paul's Story
Paul’s story, written in his own words.
I was working managing a smoke shop working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with no breaks or days off for 6 months for a salary of $2000.00 a month. The days were long, but my paychecks weren’t and that really hindered me. Although I am disabled, I really try to not let anything stop me. Because of these conditions, I began to feel like I was being taken advantage of. I wasn’t appreciated for my work performance; on top of that, my paychecks started not l...
Mel's Story
Today we bring you Mel’s story, written in her own words.
My life before GLISS wasn’t great by any means. I was working a job, that I didn’t pick for myself, living with a person who didn’t provide any security or safety, and genuinely not living with any hope. The job situation was difficult in the beginning because I was pressured into it by my partner, and it became even more difficult when I had to fight to keep it. The circumstances I found myself in left me with very low self-esteem, I f...
Tim's Story
Tim has been through his fair share of ups and downs, though through every situation he knew there was a lesson to be learned. Years ago, when he was incarcerated, Tim knew that getting out of jail was going to be a turning point for him. He used his time in jail to plan his new life path – one that led to success and freedom instead of destruction and despair.
Once Tim got out, he was faced with a whole new set of trials and tribulations. From struggling to pay rent, to not knowing where the...
Matias's Story
Matias’s story starts with HOPE. He had dreamed of finding safety in being, living, and belonging. Life wasn’t easy for him. He recounts feeling depressed and always tight on his budget. Feeling like you’re just living to catch up weighs on you.
When the pandemic hit, Matias was away from his true home, India, and this caused heartache for him. He knew that he enjoyed his new life, to some degree, but missing home is an often-unexplainable hurt. Through this time, he had countless hours of int...
Raymond Reflects on His Former Life
Raymond reflects on his former life as being a bit of a roller coaster, “sometimes good, sometimes bad” but never very consistent.
That up-and-down cycle is one that many of us can relate to. The moments of joy bring comfort and give light to life but sometimes the scale feels unbalanced, and the challenging times overshadow all else.
Raymond felt his happiness was fleeting. He spent a lot of time reminiscing on time spent with his family whom he had moved away from in pursuit of his dreams...
Raymond
Raymond reflects on his former life as being a bit of a roller coaster, “sometimes good, sometimes bad” but never very consistent.
That up-and-down cycle is one that many of us can relate to. The moments of joy bring comfort and give light to life but sometimes the scale feels unbalanced, and the challenging times overshadow all else.
Raymond felt his happiness was fleeting. He spent a lot of time reminiscing on time spent with his family whom he had moved away from in pursuit of his dreams...
Fernando's Life
Looking back on Fernando’s life, his greatest pride was running his company. He owned a rock and jewelry business that helped him create the life he wanted. He didn’t worry about bills being paid or food on the table because the business provided him with those comforts.
Then the pandemic hit.
Covid restrictions prevented his business from operating in ways he couldn’t have planned for. Suddenly the life he had created as a business owner came crashing down and Fernando’s income was dwindling...
Christopher’s story of redemption
Christopher’s story of redemption begins at rock bottom. He was living on the street, just trying to survive one day at a time. His lack of financial stability and a warm place to lay his head at night was deteriorating his existence quickly. Christopher knew that this way of life wasn’t how he wanted to live but he had become so lost that he recalls “searching for legal activities to participate in”.
Christopher ended up being incarcerated but he held tightly to his dream of leveling up in l...
Miles
Before we met Miles, he remembers his life feeling lonely and purposeless. From working inconsistently to missing out on valuable time with friends and family, it just didn’t ever seem to feel “right”. At that point in Mile’s life, he was searching for something to make him feel less alone.
Miles recalls struggling with addiction in those days. The substances helped numb the pain that he felt for a little while but that didn’t last long. Miles fell into the grasp of drugs and addiction eventua...
Isaiah
This story was written by Isaiah himself:
“I mean, life definitively has its ups and downs – that’s for sure. I truly feel like knowing that, and since joining with GLISS my life has shifted more towards the “ups” than the downs though. At least I am on a better note than I was previously.
My past job was a full-time position withing with clients that I adored (the “up” side of this part of my life), but the pay was barely over minimum wage. In a world like today, it’s hard to make a life o...
Rashard's Story
Rashard’s Story
Today we bring you the short but moving story of our employee Rashard.
Rashard lived an average life, nothing to complain about most days, he says. He was close with his parents growing up and looked up to them. As a parent, you influence your child’s basic values, and help to guide them through their future endeavors like education and employment. Unfortunately for Rashard, this was stripped from him.
Rashard ended up losing both of his parents years ago, and was left to fi...
Refugio's Story
Refugio’s story of overcoming trials and tribulations, starts with a not-so-perfect relationship. He recounts being constantly at odds with his partner back then. Life often felt restless and kept Refugio in a state of anxiety. As the relationship went on, and strife continued, refugio could feel himself reaching a breaking point.
One night, an argument blew up and before he knew it, he was being arrested and thrown in jail. This was a situation he never imagined he would be in before. Being i...
Fernando
Fernando has been an employee with us for almost a year now. Before working for GLISS he had been in the landscaping industry for a significant amount of time. Landscaping was a profession he thought he would stay in for a while, but then the pandemic hit. Fernando clung to the work available in the beginning but contracted then COVID.
This virus hit Fernando hard – in more ways than he expected. He recalls feeling as though his life was being ripped from him. Unfortunately, Fernando’s job slo...
Devins Story
Today we bring you Devin’s story.
This story begins with a tragedy. A little while ago Devin lost his best friend, the person who knew him better than anyone else. When the news broke that his friend had passed away, Devin was sent into a spiral. He tried to find comfort anywhere he could, but nothing and no one could replace his best friend.
Devin, like most of us, had his life mapped out before this loss. He was content with life and where he was headed – or so he thought. With the passing ...
Dan's Story
* The names in today’s story have been altered for privacy. *
When looking back on life, Dan felt like he was in a constant uphill battle. “Always one step forward and two steps back”, he said. Most days felt like time was wasting by, with no significance. Dan bounced from job to job, and house to house, inevitability ending up in exhaustion – mentally, physically, and emotionally.
His life left like it was slowly slipping out of his hands. The gradual fade from being on the path to achieving ...
The Story of Taylor
Today we bring you the story of Taylor.
Taylor is no stranger to life struggles. A few years ago, he was battling a tough addiction. Using is a slippery slope - before you know it you lose everything. Taylor learned this the hard way.
His life started looking a lot less like a steady routine and a lot more like a jail cell – that was until it ended up becoming an actual jail cell. Taylor found himself in and out of the system for some time which led to him losing the house, kids, and job. Rig...
The Story of Jeremy
Today we bring you the story of Jeremy
Like a handful of employees here at GLISS, Jeremy has worked for us a few times in the past. There was a time when Jeremy wasn’t employed through us and was struggling.
Jeremy was relying on others more than leaning into his own understanding and motivation to get through life. He was doing everything that his friends were doing, and this caught him up in a slippery slope of addiction eventually. One thing led to another, and he ended up incarcerated. ...
The Story of Jamal
Today we bring you the story of Jamal.
Jamal started working at a very young age. He made the personal decision to better his circumstances and get ahead in life. Despite it being his own decision, he was still a kid and the heavy responsibilities and financial burdens he took on at a young age made him grow up faster than most.
Jamal recalls feeling overwhelmed at times, but he remained grateful for the ability to work and keep a roof over his head. He did not allow the hand he was dealt to...
Sharing the Story of Jasper!
Today we are sharing the story of Jasper!
My life was difficult before GLISS. I experienced how hard it was to be employed while experiencing financial hardships. I needed the money to maintain my living expenses and the bills were piling up. I knew I had to get my financials under wraps so I could get ahead in other areas of my life.
I recall learning a great lesson in life when I was struggling with substance abuse. I was consuming alcohol and wasn’t being very productive in life. I was st...
The Story of Edwin
Today we bring you the story of Edwin.
A couple of years back the world suddenly shut down. The pandemic started a long list of losses in many lives. Edwin wasn’t immune to that loss, unfortunately as he lost his place of work. He was now jobless, in a place where he didn’t know anyone.
If we can remember back to early 2020, if you were looking for work, it was an incredible struggle. Edwin knew that losing his job meant he needed to find another one and find it quickly!
Edwin applied to MANY...
The Story of Jason
Today we bring you the story of Jason.
Jason often felt like his life lacked some normalcy. Most recently the struggles stemmed from a long legal battle and pending charges. It’s been over three years for him since he’s been waiting to clear his name. He was lacking confidence, assurance, and belief in himself by this time.
“Before GLISS, no one was willing to give me an opportunity, or even give me a chance to prove me.”
Jason was trying to still live his life from day to day, and trust that...
The Story of Mari
Today we bring you the story of Mari:
Mari grew up in a single-parent household. Doing life alone is tough as it is, but there is an added weight on you when you have to support the lives of two kids as well. Mari's mom was always working. She would leave early in the morning, and return late at night, working double shifts every day just to make ends meet. This meant that her mom wasn't home often. They didn't have many family outings, but they did have clothes on their back and food on the ta...
The Story of Erik
Today we bring you the story of Erik, a story of seeking growth and opportunities, written by him!
I can’t think of a time in my life that hasn’t been a struggle from being raised one of three kids of a working single mother getting government assistance to going to prison and becoming a drug addict. Then getting clean and starting my life over with nothing but the clothes on my back for the 5th time in my 38 years of life.
Suddenly I was in a relationship with my now girlfriend, we found out ...
Jeremy
Today we bring you the story of Jeremy:
Jeremy always leaned on his family. They are a guiding force and his reason “why”. They keep him accountable and on the right path. He would do anything for them. One day he learned just how much he would do.
Looking back on his life, Jeremy had a time of great struggle. He was slipping down the slope of drugs, tumbling quickly. Addiction is like that - one day you are living your life, and the next day you are being gripped by the need for the next hig...
The Story of Maria
Today we bring you the story of Maria:
Maria was a stay-at-home mom for most of her life. This didn’t make her days any easier than her husband did though. Taking care of the kids, the home, and all the responsibilities that come with that were a full-time job.
Maria was proud of what she provided at home and in the lives of her family.
This all ended for her one day. Maria found herself in the middle of a divorce. Although beauty comes from ashes, there was a real scary point for Maria when...
The Story of Joel
Today we bring you the story of dedication and healing - this story is Joel’s.
Joel left his house one day expecting to return just as happy and healthy as he left. That wasn’t the case for him - he was, unfortunately, crushed by a forklift that day. We wish we could say that Joel made it out unscathed, but he in fact left with life-threatening injuries.
Sometimes people say that it takes near-death experiences to change your life, and some say that everything you go through, you grow through...
Biridiana Hadn't Worked a Job Before
Biridiana hadn’t worked a job before she came to GLISS. In fact, she had recently moved to the U.S. when we met her. (Yay!)
Not knowing English, or her surroundings, she was forced to learn a lot about life here, and quickly. The fear of the unknown and feeling like she was different from the people she saw walking down the streets was absolutely overwhelming at some points.
Restarting her life in America meant that Biridiana had found her first-ever job. “But how am I going to find a job when...
Enrique is no stranger to adversity
Enrique is no stranger to adversity. There was a period in his life where he was houseless and having to find a place to stay every night. Enrique was forced to grow up fast in his life during this season.
He recounts always holding on to his religious beliefs and standing firm in the promise that was given to him. A promise of a fulfilling and joyful life. This kept him going during these hard times. It was a silver lining when life felt like a rainstorm,
One day Enrique got sentenced and ha...
Keeny
Today we bring you the story of our employee, Keeny.
Keeny spent a lot of his time at home. He would often find himself playing video games for hours at a time. Little by little this lifestyle took over, and Keeny grew bored of just staring at a screen for the greater part of some days. If you have ever played video games before, you will probably know what a slippery slope they are. One day you are just playing a few rounds of a game, then in no time you’re rearranging you daily schedule to f...
The Touching Story of Jaime
Today we bring you the touching story of Jaime:
Jaime had a pretty great life for the most part. “When you are able to count the blessings in front of you every morning, I’d say you have it pretty well”. There was just one key piece missing to complete the “perfect” life Jaime dreamed of - a job. Not just any job though, a place of work that valued their employees and a job that would help Jaime provide for their family back home. The stress of not being able to provide a steady income or plac...
Alec, a touching story
Today we bring you the touching story of an exemplary employee, Alec, written by him!
My life before I met GLISS was basically me transitioning into this new state and city here in Washington. I’m originally from Oregon. I had gotten in trouble a few times, been through courts, sentencing and everything, so I decided to make a life out here, a better one. This is when I went to go into Gliss!
At the time it was just hard for me to sleep in while living at the sober house. Our building was unde...
Josh. a Story of Perseverance
This is the story of Josh. A story of perseverance.
Josh got caught up in some trouble in his life. This ended him up serving jail time for a little while. During his sentence, Josh realized that this mistake cost him a big part of himself, and he wasn’t willing to risk it again.
He wanted a better life for himself. The ways of his old life weren’t getting him to where he longed to be. Once he got out of jail he knew he needed to keep the consistency that he was used to. Josh began looking for...
Sharing the Story of Richard
Today we are sharing the story of Richard.
Richard’s work history has some gaps in it. For one reason or another, he has had to take time off work. Richard was even taking care of his mother at one point.
When he was ready to get back to work these gaps were put under a spotlight. They began to create a roadblock for Richard, and the lack of work was starting to put him behind in life.
Richard always helped everyone else, and now he needed to be helped. A notice came in that his license was g...
Kelly's Story
Today we have a beautiful story of determination - Kelly’s story.
“Down on your luck” doesn’t begin scratch the surface of how Kelly was feeling at one time. Kelly searched for the words to describe it and landed on purposeless.
Without work, Kelly was constantly short on money. Some days he has nothing at all, unfulfilling and fleeting, Kelly thought that’s how his story ended. Unhappy, lacking progress and hope.
Luckily for us, it didn’t. It was around Christmas time that Kelly received a ...
Adan wanted to simply provide for his family
Adan wanted to simply provide for his family. He wanted to make them proud of the man he is.
Not having work was a struggle for Adan. He knew the need for his family was financial and being unable to provide that for them became a heavy weight for him to bare. Adan grew anxious, and honestly quite bored while he was unemployed. He applied to many jobs over this time. He would set goals to achieve, and the one goal always left over was “finding employment”.
Apply here. No luck. Follow-up call. ...
Daniel, a first-time employee
Today we bring you the story of Daniel, a first-time employee who desperately wanted to be given a chance!
Daniel hadn’t ever worked before. He was approaching the time in life when he needed to start making some money to afford potential bills and he pounded the pavement. He applied to place after place, all over his town and neighboring towns. He kept seeing “hiring now, start tomorrow, entry-level employees wanted”, but these provided him with little hope.
Daniel did everything he could to ...
Erin's Story
Today we bring you the story of Erin. A dedicated employee who pushed past the boundaries of a past mistake.
Erin’s testimony starts with getting in some trouble. Those who have a criminal history, or are close with someone else who does, know how unnerving looking for work can be. Filling out applications, passing interviews, submitting reference checks just to get denied a position because your background check came back with some marks. Erin was needing to financially provide for herself, a...
Our Dear Friend Joey
Today we bring you the story of our dear friend Joey!
Joey is no stranger to struggles in life. Earlier on he fell into the slippery slope of addiction. If you have ever been in that place, you know how quickly it envelopes you. This was step one to his turning point in life.
Addiction led Joey to another battle he had to fight - incarceration. This, unfortunately though, was the least of his worries. Eventually he ended up losing everything to the this feeling lifestyle. His kids were taken f...
Paulina - What Do I Have to Lose
Today we are sharing the story of our employee, Paulina.
If you look back on Paulina’s life, you could say that it looked pretty “normal” for the most part. As many lives do, it hit a total 180. She ended up in a divorce and a complete life shift. The old ways that felt comfortable were now upside down and Paulina had to figure her life out all over again.
She began navigating life as a newly single mom. Adjusting to the new ways of life, new routines and the ever-piling list of responsibili...
Lawrence - Have I Ever Had Struggles
“Have I ever had struggles? Yeah, life itself has been struggle”.
Today we bring you the story of Lawrence.
*In lieu of a photo, we have attached a quote about sobriety*
I have had a few struggles in particular that I can easily recall. One of them is a struggle that some may never experience in their lifetime - homelessness. I was homeless for six whole years. I didn’t have a place to lay my head at night for a while because I wasn’t making enough money. “Just scraping by” barely describes...
Jose - Clean and Sober
Today we bring you the story of Jose.
Since Jose was young he didn’t receive a lot of help or guidance. He was taking care of himself completely by a young age and having to teach himself how to be a functioning human in society without any guidance.
When Jose was young he would sell sticks of gum for money and sing at restaurants just to afford his school supplies. One day Jose found himself getting wrapped up in the slippery slope of addiction. Every day after that was a fight to just sur...
Jemima -Houseless to Happiness
Today we are highlighting Jemima’s story. We call this one “Houseless to Happiness”.
Jemima found herself in a situation that no one wants to be in - houselessness. She was alone, afraid and lacking security. As you can imagine this time in her life was uncomfortable; physically, mentally and emotionally. Sleep wasn’t consistent, her safety was at risk and she found herself fighting for survival most days.
Jemima was recounting everything in her life and what led her up to where she was and ...
George - Finding Something New
“I have always strived to be someone who abided by the rules and stayed out of trouble. For the most part, I did that.” George told us. He was a prison guard in California most of his life and never found any joy in causing trouble or running any sort of risk. Maybe that sounds boring to some, but to others like George, you know that life can be just as fascinating from his point of view.
Just because he didn’t cause any real trouble, doesn’t mean he wasn’t ever caught in bad situations thoug...
Genevieve - A Story of Determination
Today we bring you a story of determination - Genevieve’s Story.
Genevieve has done a wide variety of jobs in her past, from working at a retail store to doing restoration. Her skills are plentiful and her work ethic speaks for itself. She is a “doer” as we would say. There isn’t any job too big or too small for her. About 5 months ago, Genevieve went through a bout of Planar Fasciitis. For those that don’t know, this can be very painful and often prevents you from doing much physical activit...
David - Some Tough Times
You wouldn’t know it if you saw David today, but he has been through some tough situations. David found himself houseless for a few years. The inconsistency of being without a home led him to start looking for a new way of life. During these years the stumbled his way into addiction. This was a way to escape his reality and ignore the world’s problems around him. All the while he may have gotten temporary relief, the problems started to snowball and didn’t stay far away for long.
David then fo...
The story of Cristian
Today we bring you the story of Cristian.
Cristian is an outstanding employee. We first met Cristian about 6 months ago and he has proved that he is an incredible and dedicated employee and team member. How did it get to be this way?
Cristian had a turning point in his life. A while back he has slipped into the slippery slope of addiction. Wanting and needing his vices to get through the troubles of life. One thing lead to another and Cristian found himself in a whirlwind of hurt. He lost eve...
Dwayne's Story
Today we bring you the short but sweet story of Dwayne.
“Struggling is just a part of life” for most people, Dwayne shared. It is easy to find someone around you who’s struggling, if you look for it. The beautiful part of it all, is that it can be the foundation of your next journey if you use it properly.
Dwayne didn’t have a specific life struggle he wanted to touch, but more so wanted to share that set backs, turning points and changes are all a part of life. We all go through those times i...
Scott - a testimony of struggle hurt and confusion
“I was feeling held back, but now I am 100%. I have high hopes for my life and what’s to come.” Scott told us in his interview.
Scott has a testimony of struggle, hurt and confusion. He said to us “I feel like my story has a gray area. I was not ever hooked on hard-core drugs, or homeless, but I have struggled with addiction and addiction is progressive if you do not acknowledge it. I have demons I battle every single day. I do not want to feel alone in this, and I do not want others to eithe...
Today we have Jose's story of resilience and dedication
“It was about 4 years ago; I was sentenced to some time in jail. At that point, in my life I was not really doing that great honestly. I struggled heavily with addiction and accountability. Lacking direction and support kept me in my ways for a little while, but that changed during my sentence. One day I decided ‘I don’t want to get out of here and go back to my old ways”, and I kept that promise to myself.
I served my time and reminded myself every day of the life I was going to create on the...
Analilia, a story of strength and perseverance
We met Analilia about a year ago. She came in and shared with us that she was a single mom, just trying to make ends meet. She was eagerly willing to do any type of work to be able to afford her monthly expenses. Even though English is Analilia’s second language, she never let that become a barrier for employment. She will often pick up extra shifts and work overtime hours to help when needed and always has a smile on her face. Nothing she faced in life, kept her from showing up to work.
At o...
Angelika's story is one that a lot of us will understand the struggle of job searching
Angelika has lengthy work history, from doing lawn care to making beautiful handmade crafts (see attached photos). She is a jack-of-all-trades, and a real go-getter but had found herself upon the struggle of finding a job. It is worth it to mention that she is at the point in her life where she does not want to keep backing herself into short-lived jobs; she wants her career – the job that will carry her through the rest of her employment.
Finding that one job that really inspires you can be ...
Sherri - a strong willed woman who has overcome an incredible battle
Today we have the story of Sherri, a strong willed woman who has overcome an incredible battle. (And has an AWESOME facemask!)
“I have been through a lot in my life. The hardest battle I have fought was definitely sobriety. Back when I was not sober, I was fighting more than just an addiction. At one point, my using ended me up in the hospital. The diagnosis was related to drug use. As must as I did not want anyone in the hospital to know that I was using, they did blood work and saw the resul...
Victoria - A Wise and Empathetic Employee
Today we have the story of Sherri, a strong willed woman who has overcome an incredible battle. (And has an AWESOME facemask!)
“I have been through a lot in my life. The hardest battle I have fought was definitely sobriety. Back when I was not sober, I was fighting more than just an addiction. At one point, my using ended me up in the hospital. The diagnosis was related to drug use. As must as I did not want anyone in the hospital to know that I was using, they did blood work and saw the resul...
Travis - Consistency is key
Josh - Needing to provide
David - Incarcerated to Employed
Carey - Clean and Sober
“If it wasn’t for me finding these people, I don’t think I would be who I am today – CLEAN AND SOBER”.
Meet Carey, a man full of integrity and grit who always gets the job done.
*Normally we would write these on the behalf of the employees we interview, but Carey’s words have an impact that we just cannot replicate.*
“Before I joined GLISS, I was homeless and doing drugs. I did not really know what I wanted to do at that point and time in my life. I was in a bad relationship and just did no...
Melody - Hard Choices
"I was hopeless, ashamed and felt like I was grasping at straws".
Melody, a reliable employee who shows up to work every single day.
That’s not a title she has always worn though. Melody, a lot like most of us, was lost at one point. She was jobless, stagnant, lacked confidence and had a new grandbaby coming quickly. Life is funny that way, when you feel down and out, it seems like around the corner is a push to keep you chugging along. Melody turned to multiple agencies to find the work she ...
Cheyanne - Keeping a Job
"I've never been able to keep a job. For one reason or another, it always ends."
Cheyenne, a dedicated employee and exuberant teammate.
As a lot of you reading this will relate to, Cheyenne found herself at the end of job, after job. She has heard every line in the book: "Our production has stopped due to what's going on in the world", "Budget cuts", "Dissolving departments", etc.
When Cheyenne came to us, she was discouraged and only expecting another quickly expiring job - she was thorou...
Joann - Leap of Faith
Joann, a person of integrity, positivity and reliability.
Two years ago, previous to her time at GLISS, Joann was working the grave shift for a janitorial company. If you have ever worked that shift, you know how straining it can be to push your body to function on a schedule opposite of its natural needs. She loved her coworkers, but was feeling the ultimate burnout. With the end of her contract looming, she was forced to make some quick decisions.
In July of 2019, Joann saw a hiring event a...
Chris - Establish Yourself
"Homeless, trying to establish myself while pushing through sobriety - I've done a lot in my life, but that required my all."
Chris, a grateful, trustworthy and dependable teammate who doesn't let anyone get left behind.
There will be times in life where you have to give every single day your absolute everything to make it. These times are what shaped Chris into the amazing person, employee, and friend that he is today. Chris was needing to establish stability in his life quickly because th...
Andy - Fresh Start
Andy, a valuable employee whose work ethic speaks for itself.
We met Andy earlier this year, shortly after he arrived into town. He was new here and had moved with just his close family. Can you imagine making a life change like that during a pandemic?
Andy opened up to us about being alone since moving out here and having no idea where to even begin. He did know that he wanted this fresh start to be worth it, and to feel like he was a contributing member of society. He feared that he may not...
Humans of Gliss
It is with great pride that we have launched a new campaign today called #HumansOfGLISS. This campaign highlights the real people behind GLISS. They are fathers, mothers, friends, neighbors and strangers.
GLISS’s mission statement is “we create HOPE by providing opportunities for people”. Here we want to create the opportunity for the community to share their personal stories, struggles, triumphs and successes.
After all, we would be nothing without our employees. Each one brings a new opportu...