Peter Keeps His Promise
“For most of my life, I worked in hospitality. I grew up in restaurants, and the industry always came naturally to me. It was familiar. It was easy. But there was a lot of drinking, a lot of late nights, and over time I found myself getting caught up in habits I didn’t want anymore.
“In my 30s, I decided I wanted something different. I moved across the country and tried an entirely new career path. I stayed with it for three years, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Eventually, I came back to Chicago and returned to the restaurant business because it was what I knew.
“Then my mother passed away.
“Her death hit me harder than I could have imagined. I spiraled. For two years, I was literally trying to kill myself with alcohol. Everything changed when I woke up in a hospital. In that moment, I made a promise to myself: I never wanted to see the inside of a hospital room or a jail cell again.
“That promise led me into treatment, recovery, and eventually to Cara Collective.
“When I first arrived at Cara, I wasn’t sure what to think. To be honest, I thought it seemed a little strange. Everyone was positive. Everyone was encouraging each other. I remember thinking, ‘What is going on here?’
“But after a couple of days, something clicked.
“The message wasn’t just about job training. Cara is about getting out of your comfort zone, being willing to try something different, and believing that change was possible. Once I understood that, I was hooked. I started looking forward to coming to Cara every day. The coaches, the instructors, and the other participants pushed me to think differently about myself and my future.
“Then I was introduced to Cleanslate.
“The job itself was straightforward: picking up litter, emptying garbage cans, and helping keep neighborhoods clean. It wasn’t glamorous, but that wasn’t the point. What I needed wasn’t glamour. I needed an opportunity. But, I showed up, listened carefully, asked questions when I needed to, and focused on doing the job right. Slowly, I found my rhythm. I built relationships with supervisors and coworkers. People got to know me, and I got to know them. It reminded me that I still had something to offer.
“Today, I work at ITW in manufacturing and warehouse operations. From the moment I arrived, I could see that this was the kind of place where people build careers. The company invests in employees, offers great benefits, and provides opportunities for advancement.
“Just a couple of weeks after I started, one of my supervisors pulled me aside and said, ‘Your friend talked you up before you got here, and he wasn’t lying.’ All I had done was show up, work hard, and apply the same lessons I learned at Cleanslate and Cara.
“Looking back, I know exactly where I’d be if I hadn’t walked through Cara’s doors. I’d still be spinning my wheels. I’d still be settling for whatever job came along instead of building a career.
“Thanks to Cara and Cleanslate, the opportunity in front of me now feels bigger than a job. It feels like a future.”
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