Like many of the men over or around my age, me desire for wanting a better way of life is all consuming. Years of living in an environment plagued with drug, violence, and lack of concern for the well-being of community, had me in a frantic search for an alternative. There had to be a way for me to free myself (my mind), elevate my neighbor, and in the process grow self-awareness of my community.

Many of the programs that were already in circulation were mainly geared for re-entry inmates, meaning those who had 5 years or less remaining on their sentence. The overwhelming majority of men dealing with drug addiction, gang violence, and/or illegal activities are men facing a considerable amount of time. I fall up under this category and frankly there was no one there to invite us into their program or to live in their housing community. If you had a lot of time, you might come across a class or two that you could sign up for. The numbers don’t add up. The number of men who are earnestly seeking to change their perspective of live, in comparison to the number of classes/programs available to them was, and still is, extremely disproportionate.

Along came A New Direction. A.N.D. opened doors form me beyond what I could imagine. I started off taking every class I could. It gave me a feeling of accomplishment, engaging my mind in higher learning, conflict resolution, social skills, cognitive behavior therapy. I participated with like-minded men, both young and old who were faced with a lot of time but refused to allow their sentence to define them. A New Direction became a life line to the men like myself, who have been sitting back here waiting…waiting…waiting…

Oh, and the impact A New Direction has resonated immediately. Men looked forward to going to classes and learning more about themselves as well as the role they played inside of this community. the light that was kindling inside me became ablaze with new information and fresh ideas, and a new outlook for my future. It was obvious that mindset/attitude was contagious throughout the participants. Guys started talking different, walking different, even our appearance has stepped up to a new level. Imagine 2-3 hundred men at an institution, faithfully going to classes VOLUNTARILY 5 days a week. A.N.D. helped men and many more like me turn in A New Direction.

So here it is…5-6 years later and my connection to this program has grown into an unbreakable bond. The tools and information that I’ve learned through this program, I am now facilitating back to A.N.D.’s new recruits. A.N.D. has helped me define my purpose as a leader, a teacher, a role model, a mentor, and a responsible member of this community. Having the opportunity to stand before these men and share with them the information and experience that transformed me as a man and set me in a whole new trajectory, has been humbling and rewarding. Seeing that kindly ignite and catch flame in each of their lives is awesome to witness. Not all of them have a lot of years to do here. Some will be returning to live next door to my family members and friends.  Knowing that I played a role in their success and decreasing their chances of coming back to prison being able to help them be successful and at the same time decreasing their chances of coming back to prison has been a gift given through A New Direction. Than you A.N.D. for helping me live a purpose driven life. Because of you, I am dedicated to change, determine to make a difference, and driven to do the impossible.