Charles Emerson never imagined that he would be a called a success story. Charles was as he puts it, “a follower” and he fell in the with the wrong crowd as a teenager. At 19, Charles was incarcerated and ended up serving 7 years in prison.
Life after prison was tough. All his old friends were still up to no good and he knew that he couldn’t go back to the old neighborhood. He was homeless and could not find a job because of his record. Charles was feeling hopeless.
That is when his father suggested the Brothers Keeper program. Brother’s Keeper taught Charles how to be a productive member of the workforce. Besides learning the trade, he learned responsibility and how to have a good attitude.
“I got out of prison, I was broke, I had no job, and I was homeless. I didn’t know what to do. “
Charles has been a General Carpenter for 6 months. His career allowed him to find a home, that he now lives in with his girlfriend. Charles is no longer a follower. He’s now a leader within our Union.