Fred grew up on the South Side of Chicago, where gang life surrounded him from a young age. By the time he was in his early teens, he had dropped out of school and became caught up in street life. He ran with gangs, trafficked drugs and guns, and found himself constantly fighting to survive.
To Fred, at first, being involved with gangs was about protecting his neighborhood. But protection often led to rivalry, and rivalry ultimately led to violence. Fred lost friends to gang violence and saw others sentenced to life in prison.
As Fred grow older, he grew angrier and began drinking and doing drugs regularly.
It wasn’t always that way. Fred’s parents had raised him in a Christian home, teaching him the values of faith, responsibility, and love. But the streets quickly drowned out those lessons. His parents eventually moved the family from Chicago to Pennsylvania, hoping to give his younger brothers a chance at a different life.
Fred moved with them, but couldn’t leave the gang mentality behind. Within a year and a half of being in Pennsylvania, Fred was arrested on firearms charges.
At 20, Fred became a father. Despite the chaos of his own life, he loved his son deeply and cared for him during his early years while his son’s mother battled postpartum depression. He described his son as his “little buddy” who went everywhere with him. But Fred’s lifestyle eventually caught up to him. After being arrested again, Fred served five years in state prison.
“I remember when I went to prison, my dad sent me a Bible,” Fred says. “He said, ‘Learn it, live it, love it. It’s a way of life, Fred. It helps you become a man and grow with maturity.’”
Even then, Fred did not fully understand the depth of what his father was giving him.
When he got out, Fred tried to live a more stable life. He married, built a blended family, and for a while embraced a quieter rhythm with backyard barbecues, vacations, and kids’ school functions. His wife introduced him to the arts, including operas, plays, and concerts, which softened him and opened up his world beyond what he knew from the streets.
But over time, the marriage unraveled. Communication broke down, restlessness grew, and Fred drifted back into old habits of drinking and doing drugs. In the middle of the divorce, tragedy struck. Within a short span, Fred’s father, mother, and his son’s mother all passed away. The losses devastated him. “I was just mad at the world,” he said. “I pushed everyone away. Even my kids. I did not want them to see me like that.”
For nearly five years, Fred cycled in and out of the county jail. Each time he stood before the same judge, who kept giving him short sentences. Finally, one day, the judge called him up to the bench, turned off the microphone, and asked, “What’s going on with you? You’re not getting it. Tell me what’s happening in your life, Fred.”
He broke down and shared his story. Instead of giving him more jail time, the judge said, “You do not need more time. You need help.” That moment changed everything.
For the first time, Fred felt seen, not as a case number, but as a human being. The judge sent him to Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge (PAATC). Fred did not have insurance or money, but through the generosity of donors, Fred received the help he needed. He started with our short-term program, then moved into the long-term discipleship program. Tragedy struck while Fred was in treatment with the passing of his ex-wife. The woman who had brought him peace had passed away. Even though Fred wanted to leave and pay his respects, his daughter who saw both his progress and improved mental state encouraged him to stay. This would be a life changing decision as he went on to proudly graduate in 2018.
At Teen Challenge, faith became real for Fred. For the first time, he understood what his parents had tried to teach him. He felt unconditional love, experienced accountability, and developed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He realized that every step of his journey was part of Gods plan — including the judge who sent him to PAATC, the staff who guided him, and the donors who made it all possible.
Today, Fred shares his story to show that change is possible. Without Pennsylvania Adult & Teen Challenge and the generosity of donors, he would never have had this chance. A young man with no insurance, little hope and a lot of pain found faith, redemption and purpose.
Fred’s early life was shaped by the streets of Chicago, instilling within him a gang mentality that marred his life with drugs, alcohol, violence and crime. God, working through PAATC, gave Fred a fresh start. Today, he is restored, redeemed and living a life of faith his parents always dreamed for him. Stories like Fred’s are only possible because friends like you step forward in generosity.
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By donating to our scholarship fund, you help individuals access the recovery support they need but may not be able to afford. Together, we can offer hope, healing, and a chance for a brighter future. Every contribution makes a difference—thank you for being part of their recovery story.
