Meet Matt

Imagine eagerly waiting for your dad, but he never shows up.

This was Matt’s reality.

Matt learned about his dad through stories his mom told him. Before he knew it, Matt’s idea of what a man should be was formed by all the things his dad did wrong. Because of his strained relationship with his father, Matt struggled with anger and anxiety.

By the time Matt was a teenager, he turned to drugs to cope with the wounds his father had left behind. “I did a lot of drugs, sold a lot of drugs, wherever, whenever,” he says, “I was lost. I didn’t really know what to do. I felt like I was never going to do anything.” The fateful day Matt sold two pounds of weed to an undercover cop was the last day he sold drugs.

While on probation, Matt applied to our Job & Leadership Training program. At first all Matt wanted was a job, but after being in our program for a few weeks, he found more than he expected and his life began to change.

Matt immediately connected with his mentor. With the help of our manhood classes, his relationship with his wife got better. He became part of a brotherhood with his classmates. He learned job skills that he’s still applying to his job today. He rose as a leader in his family.

“The day I graduated from JLT, I cried. I went out with my mom, I got home and I just started crying. I saw my diploma, my excellence award and I never felt so motivated to do something with myself,” he says.

Today, that motivation has taken Matt to a whole new place in his life. Matt’s employed full-time at Urban Chestnut. Now he’s equipped to control his anger and talk through conflict, and his relationship with his wife is improving because of it. “I’ve always had dreams, but now I just want a tool to provide for my family. Now, I think about my wife more than I even think about me,” he explains.

Without you, Matt’s life transformation would not be possible. Your support empowered Matt to change his life and in turn, impact his wife, his family and his community. Soon after Matt went through our program, his older brother enrolled in our Job & Leadership Training, too. An entire family is breaking the cycle of poverty because of you.

Now, we need your help to continue empowering people to transform their lives. Will you consider making a donation to transform our city? Take action now to make an immediate impact. Monthly gifts, even $25 each month, are especially helpful.