It’s not an easy road, but it is possible.
Anyone who grew up in a small town knows all-too-well the challenges you face when you make a mistake. In a small town, everyone knows who you are. They know your family. And every mistake you make is in the public eye and scrutinized.
Bryan Meador was arrested the weekend of his 10-year high school reunion right there in the small Missouri town where he grew up. The local news covered the story. As far as he was concerned, going back home after his release from prison was not a viable option.
“I couldn’t go back home because I was very well-known in my community,” he said. “So I ended up having to go to the Heartland Center here in Kansas City, and my thinking was more or less, I could get basically lost in a bigger crowd. And, there were more opportunities.”
It wasn’t easy for Bryan though, he had a conviction that made it particularly difficult for him to find a job and housing. But, while at the Heartland Center, he met Kathleen Kennedy, who helped him create a resume and land his first job on the outside. It took him almost six months after his release to get employment and housing. At the time, Kathleen was working at the Bishop Sullivan Center, where she helped him create a resume and set up job interviews.
She also referred him to Journey to New Life for additional assistance. He says he’s grateful that Journey to New Life was there, and now that Kathleen is at Journey to New Life, he continues to work with her and check in when he needs employment advice or support.
“It feels really welcoming down here,” Bryan said. “You don’t feel like you have to beg. You actually feel welcome and open, and you can actually talk about these things.”
Bryan says, ultimately, he just needed a second chance, and he found it in Kansas City, thanks to Journey to New Life and the other organizations that serve the community.
There’s so many people out there that will make comments about a second chance. ‘We should always give someone a second chance; give them the benefit of the doubt,’ but no one actually wants to be the one to give that second chance. Yet, these people here will continue to show that they’re the ones that are going to give you that second chance. They understand that people screw up, and all they want is for you to do better.
— Bryan Meador
Today, Bryan is stably housed. He’s been at the same job for over a year, and he recently got a promotion. Not only that, he returns to the Heartland Center and speaks to new clients recently released from prison. He shares his story and his experience in the hopes that those individuals don’t feel as alone as he first did when he was released.
He wants them to know that there are services and assistance available to them. ”All of the resources are available to them. It’s just you have to have the perseverance and the drive to do it,” he said.
“I usually point them to Bishop Sullivan and Journey to New life to get things started for them,” he said. “It’s the level of compassion and care that you get from the people that are here. There’s no judgment.”
