George: Here I Stand
Standing in Liberation: Help
Going Down the Wrong Road
Growing up in the projects of Cleveland, George didn’t have a lot of money, but his family was “rich in love.” As he grew older, though, that wasn’t enough for George. He saw hustlers and drug dealers making money and living glamorous lifestyles … and he wanted that too.
Raised with Christian values, George knew he was on the wrong road, but he couldn’t turn off of it on his own. When he was released from his third prison term, he had nothing left and nowhere to go. He connected with his pastor, who referred him to The City Mission.
Getting Back on Track
“The City Mission has been a blessing!” says George. In our Crossroads program, he found the guidance and support he needed to transition from prison back into the community. “It was intense,” he says of the curriculum. “I learned a lot. Even after I’ve graduated, I still apply it to my life today.”
George didn’t get to walk across the stage with the other program graduates, but he had a good excuse: he was working. “The ultimate goal is to work and get back on our feet.”
Hear Directly from George
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Building a Better Path
As a carpenter, George tells us, he gets to emulate his hero: Jesus Christ. “I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength,” says George. He serves as the local president of a young men’s mentoring group at his church. “I try to give back and do the little bit I can. It makes me feel good to be helpful.”
George lives in our Banfield apartments, transitional housing for Crossroads graduates, but he looks forward to having a place of his own and helping to raise his three daughters. “They see I’m doing the right thing,” he says proudly.
