We Have Already Helped a Lot of Young Men
Notes from Johnny Dorsey: I have many stories that I could share since working with the program A Way Out. These stories are from young men who were in gangs and no longer participate in gang activities. These young men were getting high, and because of this mentoring program, have found other ways to face with their struggles, stop using drugs, and discover the 12 step recovery program. Here are three stories I would like to share with you. I am not naming them to maintain confidentiality and the photos are not of the actual subjects.
The first young man is 18 and scheduled to graduate this year. This fall as we were meeting on Saturdays, he said, "Mr. Dorsey, I may have to stop coming to your program, because we moved out of Englewood and now live in Roseland. We might later be moving in with my cousin in Logan Square", which is on the North Side. Of course I told him that he didn't have to stop if he didn't want to. He said "I love the program; you have helped me to stop getting high and continue going to school." He then told me he didn't have the money to catch the bus and take the L to our program and that he got a ticket for illegally hopping the L to get to the program last Saturday. I was touched and hurt at the same time. I now give him bus passes when he needs them.
I later found out his step-daddy put him and his mother out of the house, which caused them to be homeless. They were living with a friend of his mother's in Roseland and soon would be put out there, and would be moving in with his cousin to live in Logan Square. I reached out to my connection in Englewood and got them into a shelter in Englewood on 62nd Sangamon for women and children. He can now walk to school and hopefully will graduate this summer. I helped his mother with her resumé in the hope of getting her a job. Our client continues to come to the program and is doing well.
The second young man was expelled from high school for fighting at the age of 18, so I got him enrolled at Urban Prep on the condition that he attend our Saturday program .
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I had him sign a contract that he would attend on Saturdays. He was in a gang selling drugs and getting high. I got him in an after school program where he is learning boxing to deal with his anger. He continues to see me on Saturdays for mentoring.
The WTTW News show, After School Matters, ran this interview with him on channel 11 (interview begins at about the 2:00 mark).
He is now 19, a senior, and can graduate. He told me he would like to get a CDL drivers license when he graduates. I have a connection with Coca-Cola, and hope he can work for them after he graduates.
My third young man is a gentleman I have mentored since we started. He tells other young men about the program and helps to set up on Saturdays for me. He was a senior last year. He used to get high and felt that college was not for him.
In June of this year, his mother's house caught fire and they were left homeless. He was scheduled to graduate and go to Prom. All of their personal belongings were destroyed in the fire. Our program A Way Out stepped up and was able to buy this young man some shoes, undergarments, a shirt and pants so he could walk across the stage to graduate. At his graduation he gave me a thank you card and his words were such a testimony to what we do. That is why I showcased this brother. One person at a time showing them A Way Out.