Sep 16, 2019
My guest today is Everest Cruz.
Everest is a resident at the Fletcher Boykin transitional house for
formerly incarcerated men in Spring Valley, NY, run by MADE
Transitional Services. Everest has been in and out of prison since
he was 13 years old, so since I met him in July, now at the age of
29 years old, Everest has experienced his longest stretch of being
out of prison: over 60 days! He grew up in San Diego, CA with his
older sister and single mom. His father was not in the picture; in
fact, Everest has never met his father. It was unbearable for
Everest to watch his mom work so hard yet consistently struggle to
put food on the table. Everest provides insights into the pressure
he felt to join a gang, while being lured into the false hope that
the gang would provide an avenue for him to help his family. I
wonder how many of us would have made the same decision given the
same desperate circumstances.
Everest keeps it real, speaking openly about his past, which he
acknowledges is critical to his healing process. Everest’s driving
motivation to turn his life around is his nine year old son, who
lives in California. Even though he hasn’t seen his son since his
son’s first birthday, Everest is sustained by their Face Time
contact. He treasures these connections with his family and is
determined to make his son proud. Everest is deeply grateful to the
Bronx defenders who have believed in him and are helping him gain
legal immigration status. I am in awe of all the unsung heroes, who
work tirelessly on behalf of the most vulnerable and marginalized
in our society, treating them with dignity, respect, and
compassion.
Check out the link below for MADE Transitional Services and
their
October
Gala.
Help support their efforts in giving Everest and others a second
chance to turn their lives around. Enjoy the Podcast!
Links:
Made
Transitions