stories

Life on the streets doesn’t always make sense. In that way, it’s the same as the straight life. You find good people in bad situations who still try to live by a strict moral code, but you also find people willing to beg, borrow, steal, and lie just get ahead. Marvin comes down on the … Read more

But to understand exactly how remarkable a story is, sometimes you need to understand the depths of despair through which that person has traveled. This is Chip’s story. * * * * Chip’s childhood was fairly quiet. He grew up in Massachusetts and vacationed with his family down south. Trips to Florida and Myrtle Beach … Read more

But the lure of drugs and easy money are strong, and the lifestyle drew Antonio in. It’s taken decades and multiple prison sentences to show him: it’s time to grow up. His new life won’t be easy, but he’s dedicated to making a change. He, like many of our students, is dedicated to making it … Read more

So say a million internet memes, usually plastered across a picture of a wrinkly dog lying face-down on the sidewalk. And it’s true: we all have rough days, managing our jobs, our bills, and our kids. I know I’ve contemplated the pain of “adulting” on an afternoon when the drain is clogged, the dogs are … Read more

Ephesian is a little different. He’s new to the program. He’s only been around a couple weeks. He’s so fresh out of prison the trauma of it haunts him. You can hear it in his voice. So what is that trauma like? What is a day in prison? What gets you locked up, and what … Read more

However, a name wasn’t enough to protect Mac from a generational cycle of crime and brutality. It wasn’t enough to hide him from the life he was born to. It wasn’t enough to keep him safe from the kind of abuse that haunts every parent’s nightmares. Today, at 44, he hopes that sharing his story … Read more

Those words, written by Harper Lee for the iconic fictional lawyer Atticus Finch, seem to have been written about Chris, a Turning Leaf student whose path through the program has been full of complications. To the outside world, Chris might resemble any other black man who has led a life of crime filled with drugs, … Read more

Before coming to Turning Leaf, graduating from our program and becoming one of our most beloved staff members and team mentors, Blue hit rock bottom. A life of unchecked anger and aggression led to a single moment, a single act, that can never be undone. Let us be clear up front this week: this is … Read more

Rickey proved that, with the help of his family at Turning Leaf, anything is possible. He graduated four years ago and is living life on the up-and-up with a successful career and fiancé. He hasn’t been arrested since his graduation day. He’s never going back to jail. This is Rickey’s story. “My family was loving … Read more