THE SPEAKERS OF VISIONS OF HOPE
All the speakers of Visions of Hope are ex-parolees or are currently on parole. They are dedicated to making a positive difference in the community and demonstrate that change is possible. They have overcome habitual negative life styles and turned their experience to positive help for others. Vision is the way we perceive our relationship with the world around us. Responsibility defines our ability to respond to a changing world without losing track of our goals. Every event is a stepping stone along the way. We encourage others and walk with them un till they regain their strength and direction. We can do so because we too were lost and and now we see clearly.
Stephany A.
Stephanie A. has three children. She has a home and friends and a college degree. And, for possibly the first time in her life, she has dreams of a future for herself and her family. Stephanie has spent much of her life behind bars, first in California Youth Authority camps, then in a women's prison. It was after her release, and during a time when her son was heading down the same path of self-destruction that hope, determination and strength came through for Stephanie in the form of Visions of Hope.
“I pulled myself together emotionally, mentally, physically,” she said. Now as a speaker for Visions of Hope , Stephanie is trying to stop others from making the mistakes she made and paying the same price. “Since I got out of Youth Authority, I have always wanted to reach out to troubled, at-risk kids, those who have issues with emotions, drugs.”
Raymond A.
Raymond A. will start classes at Antelope Valley College this fall at the age of 16. He already has a high school diploma which he earned while serving time with the California Youth Authority. “I've been to nine different camps,” said Raymond. “I was always a knucklehead, always fighting, so they transferred me to different camps.” A child actor, drug abuser and gang-banger with no real friends, Raymond was a lost soul who felt he didn't really belong anywhere. He was trying to be a part of the film world and the world of street gangs. “ I wasn't both of them, either of them at all. But I had to fit in somewhere.” Raymond's escapades eventually caught up to him and he spent two and a half years as a guest of the juvenile camps. Raymond is now a powerful speaker for Visions of Hope. His background and experiences make it easy to connect to kids his age. “Visions of Hope is….a place where they just accept you for what you are. It's a place where I can feel accepted. That's pretty much what everyone needs is to feel accepted. That's why a lot of people turn to gangs.”
Char
At age 15, Char entered the California Youth Authority on charges of assault and battery. “Time stood still for three years,” said Char, a Visions of Hope speaker. There were no radios or TV allowed. I was in the old system where there were no rights.” That old system allowed Char the option of going into the service instead of prison when she turned 18. She chose the United States Army and from 1968 to 1971 was an airborne paratrooper.
Released from parole 37 years ago, Char is a successful business woman with her own company. Her special needs clients are those with epilepsy, autism, cerebral palsy, all variations of retardation and Downs Syndrome. She is recognized through the Los Angeles County Court system for judicial intervention and prevention for the special population. From inmate to entrepreneur, Char has made the journey with determination and a positive attitude that she now shares with the other members of Visions of Hope. “I've been called a radical, but I just want to get things done and make them happen,” she said.
Christine S. is an outreach event coordinator for Visions, a member of the Prison Fellowship Ministries, the mother of two daughters and a college student working toward a degree in drug and alcohol counseling. She is also the victim of kidnapping, rape and domestic abuse and spent four and a half years of her life in prison on drug charges. But all of that, says Christine, is behind her now. With a knock-out smile and a conviction that would put others to shame, Christine is spreading the hope of Visions, talking to kids, parents and parolees and scheduling Visions events at high schools, colleges and other youth facilities.
David M. is 16. At age 10 he was smoking pot, stealing stereo systems out of cars and ditching school. By the time he turned 13, he had graduated to methamphetamines and grand theft auto. “My mom and dad were both working so I really didn't have anyone to stop me,” said David. “When I was 13, someone offered me meth and I took it. That's when I really started spiraling out of control.” After a short stint with the California Youth Authority, David decided he wanted to get his life straightened out and asked his dad to take him to the Visions of Hope meetings. David is now working with his dad, a minister, to start a church in South Central Los Angeles. His future plans…and he is planning a future…include college and training as a computer specialist through the United States Army.
Gilbert G.
Gilbert G. has been to prison seven times. His rap sheet lists petty theft, burglary, robbery and drug use among his many offenses. Gilbert is a 'second striker' which, in the state of California , means one more offense will put him behind bars for life. “I've always heard people say that you won't stop until you're sick of it. I'm honestly sick of being sick and tired.” As a construction worker, Gilbert sometimes put in 11 to 12 hours a day on the job, but still finds time for Visions. “Through the Visions of Hope I not only help the kids, but I help myself to keep myself on the right track.”
Frank M.
Frank M. started speaking to kids when he got out of prison in 2002. His parole agent introduced him to Dean Crenshaw and the Visions of Hope. At one time, said Frank, he was a member of the inmate program, Scared Straight, but said he prefers the more motivational, practical approach that Visions uses to reach out to others. He knows that aggression and preaching didn't work for him as a youth. “With someone yelling at me, it just went in one ear and out the other” Frank, who was “strung out on heroin” at the age of ten and an addict for 25 years made a lot of mistakes, but the biggest one came when he was 18 and burglarized what turned out to be the home of a narcotics officer. “Talk about a bad choice,” he said.. For many years, Frank had a career as a pyrotechnician in the movie industry. But, it was the exposure to a career that offers constant exposure to drugs and his willingness to get back in the world of drugs that got him arrested and sent back to prison one more time. “While I was sitting in the cop car, I decided to change,” he said. “I was tired of getting high and tired of getting in trouble. Now Frank manages two sober living houses and is the sound and lighting technician for the Visions of Hope events.
John C
John is the oldest member of Visions of Hope at 61 years. He was a top level Art Director and Special Effects Supervisor in the motion picture industry for 25 years until personal tragedy and drug use overpowered his other priorities. During his several terms in the penitentiary John studied behavioral therapy and belief systems to discover the underling cause of his own dilemma. Searching the base line of self abuse, cause/effect became clear. He has completely overcome addiction. He says," once a person understands who and what they really are, it becomes impossible to make a destructive choice". His hope is that his self research can lead others to make similar discoveries about them selves. John is serving his parole working closely with Dean Crenshaw in Visions of Hope to demonstrate, what you believe, you rerceive. Decisions are based upon current belief, ergo, you and only you can change your world.
Visions of Hope depends on community support to continue helping our youth. All donations, sponsorships, and other resources are gratefully accepted. For more information on how you can help, please visit our sponsors page.
