For years, Jose was known simply as “Baby Dad”—a nickname that stuck because his older brothers were in the program first. Today, that nickname has been replaced by a new title: Hope Now Graduate.
FOUNDATION OF TURMOIL
Jose’s early life was marked by instability and painful revelations. He was the youngest of eight children and never knew his biological father. He was raised to believe his oldest brother was his father and was told to call him “Dad.” A foundational lie that crumbled when he was twelve.
“I realized I couldn’t depend on him as a father—just as an older brother.”
This betrayal, coupled with six years of homelessness from the third grade onward, left him yearning for safety and a place to call his own in a world filled with chaos.
HIGHWAY HUSTLE
Surrounded by an environment of drugs and violence, Jose was determined to avoid the legacy of his family’s struggles. However, the temptation proved too strong. After trying marijuana in eighth grade, Jose’s life spiraled into addiction, alcohol, and crime. For seven years, his “job” became a dangerous panhandling scam on the highway. It ultimately ended in tragedy when his friend was shot accidentally. Jose was the only one who stayed with his friend when the police arrived. Even in the midst of crisis, a flicker of responsibility remained—a small act of loyalty in a life otherwise defined by survival.
TURNING POINT
Hope Now became the lifeline Jose desperately needed. He first reconnected with the program in 2021 but wasn’t fully ready to commit. Years passed, and after being kicked out of college and unable to find work, he hit a new low. Jose remembered the Promise of Hope Now. This time, he returned with a different mindset, ready to embrace the change he had previously resisted. The program provided the structure, support, and belief in his potential that he had been missing his entire life.
A NEW MOTTO
Today, at twenty-one, Jose is a proud Hope Now trainee who has not only graduated but has also earned his first legitimate paycheck. The feeling of success is a powerful motivator.
“I don’t want to stop this feeling of success.”
His personal motto, Hope Now’s slogan, “Two Steps And You’re Up,” now fuels his mission to inspire others.