Supervisor Spotlight: Emil
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “A true leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”
At The Doe Fund, we are committed to uplifting leaders with lived experience. The proof is in the numbers: 70% of The Doe Fund’s Programs staff are Ready, Willing & Able graduates. After all, who would make better leaders to current trainees than our graduates themselves?
As a proud 2020 Ready, Willing & Able graduate and street cleaning supervisor, Emil now guides trainees on the journey he once went through himself.
Born and raised in the South Bronx, his mother did all she could to support Emil. However, he was exposed to negative influences at a young age and, in his own words, “got wrapped up in the street life.” Eventually, his crimes caught up with him, and he spent years behind bars — away from his three kids.
“I had to learn the hard way. The system had to teach me to sit down, listen, and do the right thing so that when I did have a second chance to get out, I could be a productive citizen,” Emil told us.
Once released, Emil knew exactly where he needed to be after coming across a flyer for our programs. “I was in prison for a long time. As soon as I got out, I joined Ready, Willing & Able. I needed what they had to offer. They were the vehicle and I was the driver,” he said. “At that point in my life, I needed a change because I knew I wasn’t going back to prison. One time was enough.”
Emil worked hard to stay on the right track and has been a part of The Doe Fund ever since, always going above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks to the mentorship he received, he was able to turn his life around.
“When I was a trainee, my supervisors taught me so well. They opened my eyes and guided me,” Emil said. “The Doe Fund helped me discover things I didn’t know about myself.”
Emil’s supervisors encouraged to keep going and told him if he stayed on the right path, he would be able to obtain a stable job. Soon enough, he did.
Raymond Jones, the Senior Associate Director of our Community Improvement Project, noticed his hard work. “When Mr. Jones asked me if I wanted to become a supervisor after seeing me work at Porter Avenue, I was reluctant at first,” Emil recalled. “I didn’t want to let anyone down. I didn’t know I could or would be able to do it successfully.”
But despite his hesitation, Emil soon realized his potential. Now, he’s in charge of leading the Dumbo Improvement District street-cleaning trainees.
“The Doe Fund is a good organization. Ready, Willing & Able humbled me. I pushed that bucket and did what I had to do to get to where I’m at,” he said. “They showed me that they were willing to help me as long as I was willing to help myself.”
By providing much-needed support, housing, and economic opportunities when reentering society, Ready, Willing & Able graduates like Emil are 62% less likely to reenter the criminal justice system.
Ready, Willing & Able supervisors play a huge role in a trainees’ success. “Being a supervisor is great. It’s rewarding when you help a person finally understand how to be a productive citizen and stay out of prison,” said Emil. “I tell them: ‘whatever happened in the past is in the past, just keep moving forward.’ It’s rewarding when they graduate and introduce me to their family as their supervisor.”
Emil is also able to be the father he was meant to be to his three children and three grandkids. “It’s great to actually be in a child’s life and see a person grow,” Emil beamed with joy. “My kids have been a part of my life through the ups and downs. Every time I see them, I tell them: ‘I’m thankful you’ve been there for me. From here on out we’re done with that past life. We are moving forward to that good life.'”
His children are happy to see their father working at a job he loves, helping New Yorkers improve their lives. “I’m here because I want to help somebody that was in the same position I was in. The Doe Fund gave me a shot; they didn’t ask me for a fee. They just said to come as you are. I’m trying to give back what was given to me,” Emil told us.
He has a lot to be proud and thankful for: “First and foremost, I thank God for how far I’ve come,” Emil said. “He put me in a place to help find myself because I couldn’t find it without The Doe Fund.”
Emil continued, “I’m a product of George McDonald’s vision. Without it, I don’t know where I would be. I’m glad Harriet and the rest of The Doe Fund team stuck by me and had confidence in me to become a better person. The Doe Fund is forever my family.”
