PROTECTING OTHERS

Steve was raised by a single mother who struggled with a crack cocaine addiction. He moved between Fresno and Madera, living wherever a relative would take him in. His mother’s pimps brought dangerous people into their home. Steve would lie awake at night to keep his younger sisters safe.

At just eight years old, Steve became a victim of abuse himself. He searched for protection wherever he could find it. A gang filled the void, and he joined at 12. He believed he had finally found a family that would look out for him.

STREETS & SYSTEMS

When Steve was 16, his mother was arrested, and CPS came looking for him. He ran. His fellow gang members told him that if he could stay hidden until he became an adult, CPS would lose its authority to collect him.

The streets became his teacher, selling drugs, manufacturing narcotics, and living by violence instead of trust. Years later, unresolved pain from his childhood surfaced: a devastating incident led to an attempted murder conviction and an eight-year prison sentence.

HOPE BEHIND BARS

Prison became the place where Steve’s life truly began to change. He immersed himself in Bible studies, earned his GED, and became a leader in faith-based groups. His transformation was so evident that prison administrators approved his transfer into the TURN reentry program before he had even completed his sentence.

It was through TURN that Steve discovered Hope Now. With Hope Now’s help, he secured his first job with Fortrex, sanitizing equipment at Foster Farms. This opportunity instilled the confidence and foundation he needed to build a new life.

NEVER IMPOSSIBLE

Today, Steve serves as Production Manager at Uncle Harry’s. He now balances work, school, and his reentry program requirements. In a few weeks, he will complete the program and regain his freedom. His children, now 17, 13, and 10 are back in his life again. Steve was able to take them to the zoo recently. All these things he once believed might never happen.