Joee has just been hired as a driver for RMA’s thrift store.

This is the second story in a series chronicling this year’s theme of “Access and Opening Doors.” This month, we look into Joee’s story, recounting his journey to a new life.

The way Joee sees it, doors are opening, and his future is bright. “I just got hired as a driver at our thrift store, I have the chance to get my commercial driver’s license, and I plan on starting college classes for drug and alcohol counseling in the fall,” he said with a big smile. “The Mission truly set me on the right path.”

Joee had what he calls a regular childhood. “I was raised by my mom and stepdad and I never got into any trouble. Well, not any big trouble anyway,” he said with another grin. But at 18, in an instant, Joee’s life changed forever.

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he recalled. “I wasn’t a tough guy, though I liked to pretend I was. I was confronted by gang members and one of them smashed the window of my car. Someone then pulled a gun on me, and I pulled my gun out in return.”

Looking back, Joee still doesn’t understand why he bought a gun in the first place. “They were so easy to get back then, so when I turned 18, I bought one. I thought it would be cool to have,” he said. That decision had far-reaching consequences when Joee pulled the trigger and killed a man. “That moment will be with me always.”

After serving 12 years in prison, Joee was determined to rebuild his life. “I was working a lot and just trying to stay as far away from trouble as possible,” he said. “But after four years of keeping my head down, trouble found me.”

Introduced to meth by a girlfriend, Joee was soon using regularly and drinking. “What’s crazy is that I had gone 35 years without that sort of trouble, and then in a short time I was addicted.”

Now struggling, Joee found himself in and out of jail. Knowing he needed change; Joee came to the Mission. “I couldn’t stand to be here at first,” he recalled. “I had gotten used to a life without structure and rules.” Gradually, as he attended classes and counseling sessions, Joee began to appreciate the structure, and his sense of discipline and desire to work hard returned to him.

“I realized (eventually) that I was only going to get out of the program what I put into it. And working through the (program) gave me the tools to understand what I was feeling and how that affected my decisions.” Looking back, Joee sees that having the knowledge and guidance of his counselors, along with the resources of the Mission available to him, made all the difference.

Along the way, Joee rededicated his life to Christ and found a new sense of purpose in reading the Bible, praying, attending church, and being part of Celebrate Recovery. “I was always a believer,” Joee said. “But this was different. The only way to describe it is to say that there was a depth to my belief that was lacking before.”

Joee credits the Construction Vocational Program at the Mission with making one of the biggest differences to him. The program trains men in all aspects of construction, including pathways to union membership, and is run by licensed contractor Ken Threloff.

“Ken helped me in so many ways. Besides the actual construction training, I was able to get my driver’s license and social security card back, and it was Ken’s recommendation that made my new job at the thrift store possible.”

Joee now sees that he has access to whatever he needs to succeed. “This place has been amazing, and I know that with God’s help, I can go places that a few years ago would have seemed out of reach for me.” His future looks bright, indeed.