When people describe Keith Cote, they’re likely to say he looks like a football player. True to form, for 20 years Keith coached high school football and basketball in Florida – before becoming homeless.

After painstakingly rebuilding his life, Keith has returned to coaching – in a sense. In August he joined our staff as Residential Facilitator for Zeke’s House, our group home for formerly homeless men, where he’s providing support and guidance to others whose stories of illness and loss echo his own.

Keith has come full circle in more than one sense: Zeke’s House is the very place where he himself found the safety and help he needed to put his life back together. Two years ago, when he no longer needed the services that Zeke’s provides, he moved into an apartment with our partner organization, Anne Frank House, Inc., where he has since been thriving. But Keith didn’t leave Zeke’s behind entirely; he’s been helping out at his former residence, as a volunteer. “Volunteerism is in my blood,” he explained. “I’ve been a catechist at Blessed Sacrament for the past six years with seventh graders. I like giving back.”

When the staff position at Zeke’s opened up, Keith was clearly the most qualified candidate. “I lived here, so I know what it takes to be a good manager,” Keith said. “I know what the guys need.”

“Having Keith in this position is a dream come true for me, as a program director,” said Larry Folk, who’s responsible for the Zeke’s program. “There’s nothing better than having a peer-to-peer mentor. Keith really understands the men; he’s been there himself.”

Keith is loving every minute of the job, which includes overseeing day-to-day chores and maintenance and helping newcomers adjust to their environs. What he most enjoys is doing small things to make the residents feel good, like making homemade pizza every Friday night.

Keith is hoping to use his job at Zeke’s House as a springboard back into full-time work as a teacher and coach, preferably, he says with a smile, at the University of Hawaii. For now, we’re grateful that he’s devoting his experience and passion for service to the mission of Friendship Place.

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