Dennis Changes His Trajectory
“I grew up on the West Side of Chicago as the second oldest out of ten children. My mom struggled with addiction, so I had to be an adult for my little brothers. I would clean, make dinner, do laundry, and make sure everyone got ready for school. I grew up pretty fast.
“My brother and I ended up going to the Department of Children and Family Services, but my aunt took us in, and she kept us together. When I turned 18, I didn’t want to listen to my aunt’s rules anymore, I was an adult. I moved out and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol and selling drugs. Those were some of the worst decisions I have ever made.
“I’m 40 years old and I’ve been incarcerated five times. I didn’t meet my son until he was five years old. I thought my daughter was going to forget about me, because when I got locked up, she had just been born. I was in jail and I needed to be in my kids’ lives. I needed to make a change. I wanted to change the whole trajectory of my life. I wanted to be somebody that my kids could be proud of.
“That desire led me to Cara. When I first arrived, I didn’t really understand it. I was here to find a job, not to sing. But when it was my turn in the circle for Motivations, I committed myself to the process. I went to the classes and really started to look into myself; I was eager to learn. Jesse touched something in me, lit a fire in me that let me know I could do this.
“Cara is going to give you what you need so that you can succeed. They’re giving you skills that you can use to be a better you. Take the five competencies and use them in your everyday life. I think outside the box. I always make it a great day. Even when I’m not having a great day, I’ll make it a great day. Nobody can take that away from me.
“I’m really blessed to be part of Cara. I recommend this to anybody who wants to change their life, who is tired of being stuck in a rut, who wants to learn about themselves, and let go of old baggage.
“Today, I’m dependable. I’m reliable. I’m present. Most importantly, I get to be the father that I always wanted to be while I was incarcerated.
“I love my son to death. He’s about to graduate from high school and I’m so proud of him. My daughter is 9 and she’s just the spitting image of me. I love that girl; she had to go through a lot growing up. My baby daughter is 4. When I came home, I was scared she wouldn’t remember me, but she ran to me and gave me a hug. I started crying and ever since then, you can’t get this girl away from me.
“I know who I am now and I’m ready for my next step. I’m ready to ring that bell. I’m ready for my career.”
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