Victor spent most of his life running.
When he was a child, he ran to live with his aunt because of his mother’s lifestyle. But by age 9, he missed his mother so much that he ran back to her against his aunt’s wishes.
Despite his mother’s efforts to change her ways to care for Victor, she didn’t. Victor ran to the streets, where regrettable decisions handcuffed his hope.
“I was living the life that the average 9- or 10-year-old shouldn’t be,” said Victor, who at age 12 in 2008, was arrested and sentenced to a year in a juvenile program. He would spend the next 15 years running in and out of jail.
But Victor also improved his life during these challenging times. He earned his GED and grew his relationship with his mother, who had turned her life around. His faith flourished, too.
Then on November 12, 2024, at 3:12 a.m., Victor finally stopped running.
His wife gave birth to their son, Lyric.
Lyric motivated Victor to continue straightening out his life. Wanting to provide for his family, Victor pursued work with all he had. Employers occasionally gave him a chance, but most of the time they didn’t.
However, in April, Victor attended our Nationwide Day of Second Chances job fair at Riverside Church in Fort Myers, which led to him landing a job with All American Barricades.
Victor is grateful for the second chance.
“I’m able to provide for them. I’m able to be a father.”
Moment & Story by Kinfay / Better Together
