2023 Success Story: Darren W.

Join us on Thursday, May 4th at 6pm for The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able Graduation Ceremony. Celebrate the incredible achievements of our trainees who have overcome immense obstacles to secure stable housing, employment, and overcome addiction. Among them is Darren, whose inspiring journey is proof that Work Works and that we work Better Together.

Many of the men who join Ready, Willing & Able have experienced dysfunctional upbringings filled with instability and negative influences. Their traumatic pasts often leave a lasting impression, but with the right opportunities and support, they refuse to let it define their futures.

Darren’s story is one of such resilience and determination. He grew up in the crime-ridden Harlem of the 70s, where he was exposed to drugs and violence from a young age. His parents were addicts, and he moved to Long Island to be raised by his grandmother. 

Darren ended up in the juvenile system and spent time in and out of prison. Despite his efforts to break free from this cycle, he struggled with addiction and dropped out of school numerous times. “People would recognize my potential and try to pull me back in, but I would always resist and find myself right back where I started and that was usually in prison or the streets,” Darren recalled. 

At 48 years old, Darren realized he needed to change his life. He came back from prison, determined that it would be the last time he would be incarcerated. However, he didn’t have a program to guide him when re-entering society. He thought it would be easy to return to his childhood sweetheart and find work, but he quickly realized he was an addict and needed help. “It was scary, there were a lot of disappointments, a lot of ‘I’m sorry. We want to hire you but we can’t.’ I found myself depressed and went back to drugs. I still worked, but I had to stay high… alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine,” he said.

“There was so much that I missed out on and didn’t learn when I was younger,” he told us. “I was taught to live day by day with no real plans for the future and to just hope I wake up the next day.”

Darren knew he had to take action. He enrolled in a 90-day program at St. Christopher, where he met a supportive friend, Danny, who shared his plans to join The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able transitional program. They planned on going and getting on their feet together. Sadly, his friend overdosed and passed away before they could. This tragic loss gave Darren more motivation to keep going.

With his wife’s unwavering support, Darren joined Ready, Willing & Able. He was scared and unsure of the process, but he knew it was an opportunity to get on track.

During his time at Ready, Willing & Able, Darren took full advantage of everything the program had to offer. He attended AA meetings and took workforce development classes. He started as one of the Men in Blue on the Hudson River Park cleaning route, and with time and dedication, he worked his way up. After 90 days in the program, he found a full-time carpenter position at Ace Industries.

“I did what I had to do, and didn’t give anyone any problems on the job. I never failed a urine test. I never broke curfew. I understood that Ready, Willing & Able is a blessing in disguise for people who want to transition into a normal life,” Darren said.

He completed Ready, Willing & Able in September and continued to thrive. He’s now a supervisor at his job! With the help of our program, Darren was able to secure stable housing, obtain employment, and overcome his addiction.

“Ready, Willing & Able saved my life. If had gone home straight after those 90 days at St. Christopher, I don’t know what would’ve happened. But being able to walk out of that building and go across the street to the store with $2000 in the bank and $200 in my pocket and not even buy a beer showed that I was ready.”

He continued, “Ready, Willing & Able gives you all the information, a job and a place to stay, and will send you to school and allow you to come back and work for them. No one else in the country does this. This is a win-win situation; you can’t lose,” he said.

At The Doe Fund, we provide individuals with the tools they need to succeed in life. Everyone deserves a working way home to their families. Our program is designed to help individuals overcome their addictions, secure stable employment and housing, and build the skills they need to succeed in life.

“Life is good. I’m now a supervisor at my job, making a lot of money, and went back to therapy to deal with depression,” Darren shared with us.

He’s been home for seven months and is in school. He’s a state-certified recovery counselor and enrolled in Great Escape, preparing for his Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) certification. “My goal is to become a counselor hopefully in the next 18 months and to work at a drug and rehabilitation program. I’m hoping to save lives and to enjoy life with my wife,” he said. 

His relationship with his kids has improved since graduating from Ready, Willing & Able, and the support he received from his family helped him stay on track. His daughter would pick him up from Harlem so they could spend time together during the weekends. He had a vision to do what had to do to get home to wife and kids. 

Darren’s story is a testament to the life-changing impact of Ready, Willing & Able. He wants to see others succeed and shares this piece of advice with trainees: “Have a goal and a purpose. Stay focused. Stay with the winners; stay away from the losers. We’ve been losing all our lives, it’s time to win a little bit. Understand that Ready, Willing & Able is not your destination, it’s only a pit stop.”