Real reentry: not giving up.
Les is 18, has zero family in the country, and was led without direction or guidance to make it in a world he knew nothing about. Ultimately, this sent him down a road of doing time with multiple charges.
Upon Les' release, he opted into receiving RISE's case management services.
At 18, Les was homeless, jobless, and had very few personal belongings - he came to our office wearing his county-issued shower shoes. Les was and is...alone. He's 18. A kid. Alone.
Les was paired up with Jon, a RISE Case Manager, who began working compassionately to determine his greatest needs.
When I talked to Jon, he mentioned Les finds it hard to believe that there are people who actually care about him and his well-being. Especially because he's here all alone with nothing.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs shows us that people have an innate desire to be all they can be, but in order to fulfill this desire, their basic needs must be met. It's hard to "be all you can be" without shelter, food, safety, love, and self-esteem. Makes sense, right?
Homeless, Jon found a spot for Les to stay temporarily at the Open Door Mission, fully understanding the struggles that come with living at a shelter.
Jobless, Jon connected Les with a clothes closet partnership program and bus tickets so he can get to a job interview and represent himself to the best of his ability and with dignity.
Though Les didn't get that first job, him and Jon didn't give up! They found other options and openings and within a few weeks, Les found employment. A month after that, he was able to move out of the shelter and into his own place!
Today, Les is enrolled at Iowa Western Community College.
I think about Les often and how badly I want him to know that it's not just Jon and RISE that care about him. That there's an entire community that cares about him. You do. Jon tells me he's seeing and understanding this more and more. It's incredible what support, compassion, basic needs, and self-esteem can do to a person's "hope tank".
It’s the little things, my friends.
It’s the little things.
