Recently we followed up with a customer from 2012. Parris grew up in Charlotte, under difficult circumstances. His dad was out of the picture early, and his mother struggled with addiction. He got involved with drugs and petty crime in his teens. At 21 he was arrested for a drug and weapons offense, and was sentenced to 20 years.
While in prison Parris started to have hope that his life, both in and out of prison, could mean something. He began to pursue an education while incarcerated, and embraced a philosophy of hard work and respect.
Parris was released in 2010 after serving 17 years. Soon he was working three different jobs and taking a job skills class with Goodwill. Then a cancer diagnosis led to insurmountable medical bills. Parris went to a payday lender to try to get by, and quickly got sucked under financially. He was evicted from his apartment. He had tried so hard to be the man he wanted to be, and now it seemed he was failing.
Community Link helped him get another apartment, despite his past, and paid a temporary rent subsidy. While in the program Parris says he learned how to manage his money and debt, things he had never been taught.
"They made me write down all my debts...I really didn't want to look at the numbers! I thought you just worked and paid your bills and it would all work out. They don't teach you how to manage money in school. I learned so much from my Community Link counselor."
Today Parris is a successful renter. He lives in a tidy single-family home with his girlfriend, her two school aged daughters, and their 15 month old son. Because of the lessons he learned in our program he has been able to manage his finances successfully.
The couple's goal for 2016 is to buy a home so they can build wealth for the next generation of their family, and they have plans to enter Community Link's Homeownership program.
Donate now to help people like Parris gain the skills to build a bright future.