Episode 32 - Breaking Chains: Raymond, Lin, and Jeannie on Transformative Re-entry Support with PACE

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:05.290 --> 00:00:07.674
And we are advocating with our lived experience.

00:00:07.674 --> 00:00:14.728
You see, lynn and Jeannie, with the lived experience they got, you can't put that in a bottle and sell it.

00:00:14.728 --> 00:00:16.306
You have to go through it.

00:00:20.361 --> 00:00:20.862
Each day.

00:00:20.862 --> 00:00:22.750
They're going to learn resume building.

00:00:22.750 --> 00:00:26.050
They're going to learn how to talk about their conviction in front of an employer.

00:00:29.262 --> 00:00:30.265
I'll just speak for myself.

00:00:30.265 --> 00:00:33.831
I am a person with justice involvement in substance use issues.

00:00:33.831 --> 00:00:40.310
I am a hard worker, I am loyal, I'm going to go above and beyond, and I'm not the only one.

00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:54.252
Welcome to Homeward Indie, a bi-weekly conversation where we meet the people working to end homelessness in Indianapolis and hear their stories.

00:00:54.252 --> 00:01:12.793
I'm Elliot Zanz and I'm Steve Barnhart, lynn, jeannie and Ray.

00:01:12.793 --> 00:01:16.477
Thank you so much for being a part of Homeward Indie.

00:01:18.412 --> 00:01:19.120
Thank you for coming.

00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:25.299
I'm excited, and I think our listeners will be too, to hear about Pace and also to hear about your stories.

00:01:25.299 --> 00:01:33.364
But let's just kick it off by each of you introducing yourself just a little bit, so that our listeners know your voice.

00:01:33.364 --> 00:01:35.531
So, uh, ray, you want to go first?

00:01:35.871 --> 00:01:37.215
oh man, you put me on the spot.

00:01:37.215 --> 00:01:39.986
Yeah, oh man, I knew it was gonna happen, all right.

00:01:39.986 --> 00:01:45.200
Uh, yeah, I'm Raymond Powell, so they call me Ray In the spot.

00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:51.510
Some of them call me Ray Ray Jones, and I think I got another one Hold up.

00:01:51.510 --> 00:01:55.465
Oh, raymond Denzel, I got that one too, right?

00:01:55.465 --> 00:01:58.140
Yeah, they ain't called me that since we moved.

00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:00.046
So we done got bougie over here though, right.

00:02:00.328 --> 00:02:00.688
Uh-oh.

00:02:02.424 --> 00:02:05.191
Yeah, but I've been here.

00:02:05.191 --> 00:02:08.811
I've been at Pace for about almost two years now.

00:02:08.811 --> 00:02:11.826
I came in as a client.

00:02:11.826 --> 00:02:14.026
In fact, this is my case manager right here GD.

00:02:14.548 --> 00:02:15.150
Oh nice.

00:02:15.659 --> 00:02:18.401
We were supposed to tell nobody that right, so yeah.

00:02:18.401 --> 00:02:26.441
I walked in the doors as a client at Pace and I went through orientation and you know the whole interviewing process.

00:02:26.441 --> 00:02:38.810
I actually had a job working as a drop driver for AVI Foods, so I used to deliver vending food to different locations and stuff like that Right.

00:02:38.810 --> 00:02:40.533
And so you know, I ended up.

00:02:40.533 --> 00:02:42.443
I said, man, I can't keep doing this.

00:02:42.443 --> 00:02:50.025
I got a four-year degree, I got you know pretty good, you know communication skills, and then I got a passion for people.

00:02:50.366 --> 00:02:51.811
Yeah, yeah, excellent.

00:02:51.811 --> 00:02:57.052
So just real quickly, how long ago was it you walked in here as a client?

00:02:59.100 --> 00:03:02.649
I'm going to say July of 2022.

00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:05.850
Okay, yeah, so about two years ago, about two years ago.

00:03:05.850 --> 00:03:07.079
Okay, so about two years ago, about two years ago.

00:03:07.079 --> 00:03:09.448
And how long have you been working here then?

00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:12.266
I've been working here since August, so they hired me.

00:03:12.266 --> 00:03:13.229
Oh real quick.

00:03:13.250 --> 00:03:13.912
Yeah, so real quick.

00:03:14.139 --> 00:03:21.752
You went from client to employee fast To employee fast, right, and that's why a lot of times you try to keep your name good out here.

00:03:21.752 --> 00:03:30.043
I actually met a young lady while I was in prison, so I served 26 years in prison.

00:03:30.043 --> 00:03:32.288
I met a young lady while I was in prison.

00:03:32.288 --> 00:03:52.733
She came in, she was a Valpo exchange student for a program called Inside Out and she was a intern for Pace for a while, and so I didn't even notice this whole connection thing, right, but anyway, she ended up putting a word in for me at Pace before I got here.

00:03:53.643 --> 00:04:00.169
So that was my connection, so I came in as a client and then I got a good reference and then you know the rest is history.

00:04:00.169 --> 00:04:02.026
Now I'm a program manager here, excellent.

00:04:02.769 --> 00:04:03.009
Lynn.

00:04:04.681 --> 00:04:08.972
Well, my story is similar to Raymond.

00:04:08.972 --> 00:04:14.088
I was released from prison in 2008,.

00:04:14.088 --> 00:04:16.353
So a little bit longer for me.

00:04:16.353 --> 00:04:22.713
And so when I was released in 2008, I too was a client here.

00:04:22.713 --> 00:04:41.502
I came through here as a client, and so, with me coming through here as a client, I was able to get the resources and services that I needed at that time to help me build on my different you know job networking skills.

00:04:41.502 --> 00:04:43.690
So it took me a little bit longer.

00:04:43.690 --> 00:04:51.392
I had to go through some different barriers, I had to deal with some different obstacles as far as with different jobs.

00:04:51.392 --> 00:05:09.629
You know, sometimes when you have that justice involvement piece, it takes you a little bit longer to get to where you need to be, and so, to make a long story short, I was able to connect with Pace later on in life.

00:05:09.629 --> 00:05:20.690
First of all, I was working at Indigo and I was a driver Not the big bus, but the short bus at the time, so I was picking up.

00:05:20.690 --> 00:05:21.459
I had to be specific with that.

00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:30.026
So I was picking up handicapped people, people that are in wheelchairs, people that are blind.

00:05:30.026 --> 00:05:33.629
I had did that for almost three years.

00:05:33.629 --> 00:05:36.649
I was called door-to-door back then.

00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:41.420
So that was a great job and it was a great opportunity.

00:05:41.420 --> 00:06:01.670
So, to make a long story short, I was just looking one day on the web and it said that they were hiring for a peer coach, and then I looked at the overview, I looked at the requirements, what was needed for the job, and I said you know, I think I'd be good at this position.

00:06:01.670 --> 00:06:04.550
I think I'm very intelligent, I think I'm very smart.

00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:12.788
I think I'm very smart, I think I'm very savvy and I think I have what is needed for this job, especially when we have that lived experience.

00:06:12.827 --> 00:06:13.088
Yes.

00:06:14.161 --> 00:06:16.209
And so I did reach out.

00:06:16.209 --> 00:06:30.151
So once I did submit my application, I didn't hear anything back until maybe the next day and, unbeknownst to me, I was given the opportunity to have an interview.

00:06:30.151 --> 00:06:34.649
I was able to interview, and so the interview went great.

00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:38.670
We had a good rapport, just I mean right off the top.

00:06:38.670 --> 00:06:42.430
And so when the interview was done I said okay, so when can I start?

00:06:42.430 --> 00:06:43.661
I mean, that's just how good the interview was.

00:06:43.608 --> 00:06:44.610
It felt right, it felt right, interview was done.

00:06:44.610 --> 00:06:44.810
I said okay, so when can I start?

00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:45.312
I mean, that's just how good it felt.

00:06:45.392 --> 00:06:50.016
It felt right, it felt right, and so that is pretty much how I arrived here.

00:06:50.177 --> 00:06:51.461
And how long ago was that?

00:06:51.903 --> 00:06:52.805
It's been two years.

00:06:52.985 --> 00:06:54.148
Two years.

00:06:54.267 --> 00:06:55.651
Next month, july, about like.

00:06:55.790 --> 00:06:56.713
Ray, that you got.

00:06:56.713 --> 00:06:59.185
You two have been here about the same amount of time.

00:06:59.245 --> 00:06:59.966
That is correct.

00:06:59.966 --> 00:07:01.088
Absolutely Okay, jeannie.

00:07:01.189 --> 00:07:02.892
Absolutely Okay, jeannie.

00:07:05.504 --> 00:07:05.564
Hi.

00:07:05.564 --> 00:07:14.964
So, Steve, you asked how I got here to Pace, yeah, and what you do anything you want to share?

00:07:14.964 --> 00:07:16.307
Well, similar to both of them.

00:07:16.307 --> 00:07:19.915
You know, I came to Pace as a client in 2018.

00:07:19.915 --> 00:07:24.932
I was sitting outside the doors for an orientation Monday.

00:07:24.932 --> 00:07:31.105
I was released on a Thursday, so I was here on a Monday.

00:07:31.105 --> 00:07:48.103
I was a client for about a year and during COVID, some things had happened and some things changed and Pace actually reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to be a diversion specialist, and I was like I don't even know what diversion is.

00:07:48.103 --> 00:07:54.202
I mean, I've been diverting the cops for a while, but I don't even know what that means.

00:07:54.202 --> 00:07:59.814
And so they gave me a shot and I've been here for four years.

00:07:59.814 --> 00:08:04.387
Um, now I am manager of peer recovery services.

00:08:04.387 --> 00:08:07.151
Um, I don't know.

00:08:07.151 --> 00:08:16.632
I I just got here because I I seen their flyer in while I was incarcerated and stole it from the re-entry folder.

00:08:17.353 --> 00:08:36.508
Um, that's the last crime I committed stealing state property that was a good one, though, I think I think it was the best one and um for for y'all, I have replaced that flyer multiples of times um, but yeah, they, they have some stuff that I needed, you know, and I had never heard of it, you know.

00:08:36.508 --> 00:08:42.403
So, uh, follow the directions and got here great, speaking of heard of it.

00:08:42.644 --> 00:08:47.734
I'm sure we have listeners who don't know about PACE, or maybe they know about the name.

00:08:47.734 --> 00:08:52.491
They've kind of probably based on each of your stories caught the gist of it.

00:08:52.491 --> 00:09:01.921
But how would you explain to our listeners what PACE is, what it does, what comes to mind?

00:09:02.020 --> 00:09:02.822
What comes to mind?

00:09:02.822 --> 00:09:06.645
Well, pace is basically an acronym.

00:09:06.645 --> 00:09:16.897
That means Public Advocates for Community Reentry, because we are a reentry organization, and what does that look like to our listeners?

00:09:16.897 --> 00:09:28.465
What that means is that we basically focus on people who have justice involvement, what I normally do as a peer coach.

00:09:28.465 --> 00:09:29.184
That is my main job.

00:09:29.184 --> 00:09:40.895
I'm also the food service manager here also, but I go into the jails and do the orientation for the men and women that are housed there, and that's exactly what I do.

00:09:40.895 --> 00:09:42.157
I tell them about our services.

00:09:42.157 --> 00:09:51.182
So, basically, I let them know who I am.

00:09:51.182 --> 00:09:52.105
I let them know my name is Lynn.

00:09:52.105 --> 00:09:52.967
I also have justice involvement.

00:09:52.988 --> 00:10:08.155
I was released in 2008, I came to pace as a client and now I'm working at pace okay and so that's really how I start my story so part of whatACE does is they don't wait until folks are out of prison or jail.

00:10:08.155 --> 00:10:17.265
They actually go in ahead of time before release and say we're out here and make that connection.

00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:25.827
I think real simply for me, if someone asked me what PACE does is support individuals, you know that's real simple.

00:10:25.827 --> 00:10:27.466
I can help support you.

00:10:27.466 --> 00:10:34.024
Pace as an organization can support you facing those barriers, breaking down those barriers.

00:10:34.024 --> 00:10:48.422
Having someone that's been through that and just be there for an individual you know and part of the community, help supporting you get back into the community, whatever that might look like.

00:10:48.422 --> 00:10:54.908
There's a lot of different aspects that we do but, connection you know support and connections connections huge.

00:10:55.490 --> 00:10:58.320
What are some of those services that are provided?

00:10:59.041 --> 00:11:00.764
well, we advocate for housing.

00:11:00.764 --> 00:11:04.250
When I say advocate, that's exactly what it means.

00:11:04.250 --> 00:11:05.774
We meet people where they're at.

00:11:05.774 --> 00:11:13.542
For instance, if you have someone that's currently housed or incarcerated, just say at the community justice center.

00:11:13.542 --> 00:11:16.427
We know, you know right now they're not working.

00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:20.865
And so you know a big piece is is that a lot of people who come here?

00:11:20.865 --> 00:11:29.727
They have you know all these different, you know different ambitions of wanting, you know to get housing and everything like that and we say we have to meet you where you're at.

00:11:29.727 --> 00:11:35.552
So if you're incarcerated and we know you're not working, we might have to look into emergency services.

00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:36.301
What does?

00:11:36.381 --> 00:11:37.706
emergency services look like.

00:11:37.706 --> 00:11:40.229
It depends on what your needs are.

00:11:40.229 --> 00:11:43.971
If you are in recovery, I'm also a peer recovery coach are.

00:11:43.971 --> 00:11:46.639
If you are in recovery, I'm also a peer recovery coach.

00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:50.275
So if you are in recovery and you need help, we can look in different say.

00:11:50.417 --> 00:11:56.190
Different pathways, yeah, pathways like transitional housing, or maybe Hickory or something like that.

00:11:56.190 --> 00:12:04.485
Now, if you don't have addiction-related problem, then basically we'd have to look into emergency services, meaning on the ground floor.

00:12:04.485 --> 00:12:05.904
What does that look like?

00:12:05.904 --> 00:12:15.067
Maybe a shelter if you don't have family or friends or someone that can advocate for you to be housed there, and a lot of things go with.

00:12:15.067 --> 00:12:16.091
That is employment.

00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:17.865
That's something else that we do here.

00:12:17.865 --> 00:12:18.945
We have a workshop.

00:12:18.945 --> 00:12:33.052
Right now we're in the middle of AYC AYC stands for Advancing your Career, and so it's an eight-day cohort, which means that basically we're going to show you with the different colleagues that you know I work with.

00:12:33.052 --> 00:12:34.823
We have, like, a financial coach.

00:12:34.823 --> 00:12:48.770
We have different people, like Raymond that does his you know his spiel so or Jeannie, you know that talks maybe on that recovery side, but each day they're going to learn resume building.

00:12:48.770 --> 00:12:52.009
They're going to learn how to talk about their conviction in front of an employer.

00:12:52.009 --> 00:12:54.969
These are just some of the things that we do here at PACE.

00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:56.265
We have pay for housing.

00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:59.048
We have different employment workshops.

00:12:59.048 --> 00:13:04.431
We have different other services that we focus on if you need that other piece.

00:13:04.431 --> 00:13:18.216
As far as recovery, we also, you know, partner with a lot of different partnerships here in Annapolis, meaning that if we can't offer a certain service, we have different partnerships throughout Indy.

00:13:18.216 --> 00:13:18.618
That does.

00:13:18.659 --> 00:13:22.971
Yeah, as you were speaking there, I was thinking about that.

00:13:22.971 --> 00:13:27.182
Were speaking there, I was thinking about that.

00:13:27.182 --> 00:13:30.731
Going back to connecting, you're also helping people connect with other services that they may need.

00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:42.503
Absolutely, because when you are going through some things, it's not just what we can do, but what can the community do in making those connections with the community.

00:13:42.503 --> 00:13:47.524
I know, like All of our staff members know, a lot of things right.

00:13:47.543 --> 00:13:50.894
Yes, and a lot of people, because we've made those connections over the years.

00:13:50.894 --> 00:14:07.537
If Raymond has a guy that is coming home and has state socks with holes in them and ain't got nowhere to go to get new socks or no money to get socks, we're going to hook him up with some socks, and if we don't, we're going to connect him with somebody that has that.

00:14:07.537 --> 00:14:23.408
Or same with Lynn, him with somebody that that has that or same with lynn, you know, I think it connecting individuals to other organizations is huge you know, so that they have all the information and all the resources um that they can get.

00:14:23.548 --> 00:14:25.629
You know, I I needed all that.

00:14:25.629 --> 00:14:35.821
When I came home, I needed food resources, clothing resources, and so You're starting with a blank slate Blank and less than blank sometimes.

00:14:35.941 --> 00:14:40.230
Yes, Actually harder than blank.

00:14:40.230 --> 00:14:42.917
So Ray Lynn mentioned what you do around here.

00:14:44.725 --> 00:14:46.048
What do you do around here?

00:14:46.048 --> 00:14:52.559
So I'm a program manager for a program that just got off the ground.

00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.173
We've been up for about a little bit over a year now.

00:14:55.173 --> 00:14:57.072
It's called Breaking the Chains.

00:14:57.072 --> 00:15:08.575
What we do, we have to, you know, get certified to go in and do what is called moral reclamation therapy and the concept with moral reclamation therapy.

00:15:08.575 --> 00:15:08.864
Don't try to look this up.

00:15:08.864 --> 00:15:09.941
Moral reclamation therapy and the concept with moral reclamation therapy.

00:15:09.941 --> 00:15:10.666
Don't try to look this up.

00:15:10.666 --> 00:15:18.249
The reclamation, because it's a word, actually a term that they coined themselves, the institute, right, and it.

00:15:18.249 --> 00:15:28.173
It comes from the word cone, to recone, right, and the concept is is that what you put on the top of the cone comes out of the bottom, right?

00:15:28.173 --> 00:15:33.846
And so a lot of trauma got put in the top of the cone, with a lot of people that's in prison.

00:15:34.087 --> 00:15:34.308
Yes.

00:15:34.509 --> 00:15:39.511
So we try to re-cone that situation, even though there is no cure for trauma.

00:15:39.511 --> 00:15:47.453
So we just try to put some other things in place for them to be able to deal with the trauma that probably led them to prison, right?

00:15:47.453 --> 00:15:52.756
Yes, but I want to back up a little bit about the agency, right?

00:15:52.756 --> 00:16:03.634
This is one of the things that I try to do a lot in this agency is I remind myself a lot about this and I remind others that it's in the name public advocates.

00:16:04.195 --> 00:16:04.817
That's what we do.

00:16:04.817 --> 00:16:09.274
Yeah, I was wondering that when Lynn mentionedn mentioned that what it stands for.

00:16:09.274 --> 00:16:10.326
What does that mean?

00:16:10.326 --> 00:16:11.388
So, like advocate?

00:16:11.447 --> 00:16:34.879
so we advocate, we do case advocacy, we do pure advocacy, we do system advocacy and we do self-advocacy, right so, and there there's levels to advocacy, right so, and everybody has their own space to advocate, right so, like, uh, we just we were down at the statehouse last year it's advocacy day at the statehouse.

00:16:34.985 --> 00:16:43.355
So we not only try to affect change, like direct service, but we also try to affect legislation policy, because policies can.

00:16:43.355 --> 00:16:44.217
They can.

00:16:44.217 --> 00:16:47.971
They can derail a program in a second Right, and that's what we're doing.

00:16:47.971 --> 00:16:51.350
Right so we we don't want to come up with a whole bunch of programs and then a policy just derail a program in a second right, and that's what we're doing.

00:16:51.350 --> 00:16:53.811
Right so we don't want to come up with a whole bunch of programs and then a policy just derail those.

00:16:53.811 --> 00:17:04.076
Right so we advocate on a system level as well, right so, while we are in the institution and working hand-in-hand with guys, we also letting them know that we are here for you when you come home.

00:17:04.076 --> 00:17:08.297
And we are in the statehouse and we are advocating with our lived experience.

00:17:08.297 --> 00:17:13.372
As you see, um, uh lynn and uh jeannie, with the lived experience, they got this you.

00:17:13.471 --> 00:17:27.288
You can't put that in the bottle and sell it yeah you have to go through it and the fact that, uh, we have took a pivot in our life to be able to come back and and and give that and share that lived experience on the advocacy level, uh, it's some remarkable.

00:17:27.288 --> 00:17:41.558
You know, and we're one of a kind in the city there's no probably nonprofit organization that can stand next to Pace and have what we have in terms of the people that we've employed and the work that we do.

00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:47.011
It's one of a kind yeah, I mean obviously we're sitting in your boardroom right here and I walked through your facility.

00:17:47.011 --> 00:17:48.330
It's a wonderful place.

00:17:48.330 --> 00:17:52.049
I mean, obviously mean obviously you got a lot of good things going a lot of the good things going.

00:17:52.069 --> 00:18:01.676
Yeah, this uh, yeah, she took she, she uh, she did her thing, uh, her being uh our CEO, rihanna Edwards, she uh worked hard, uh.

00:18:01.676 --> 00:18:12.554
I watched her like, uh, literally, like, like you know, metaphorically, hair on fire, trying to get this thing done right, get this building, you know to get us in our own space.

00:18:12.554 --> 00:18:14.352
I mean, we were in a small space.

00:18:14.352 --> 00:18:17.054
They can probably speak more to that too, jeannie.

00:18:17.365 --> 00:18:18.989
I loved our home on Keystone.

00:18:18.989 --> 00:18:26.556
I did, and it was a small space because we're ever-growing right.

00:18:26.556 --> 00:18:29.253
When I came in, raymond's program wasn in.

00:18:29.253 --> 00:18:33.009
Um, raymond's program wasn't here, lynn's program wasn't here.

00:18:33.009 --> 00:18:35.673
Uh, it was during covid.

00:18:35.673 --> 00:18:50.400
Even though a lot of places were closed to the public, pay stayed open hand-to-hand services you know um I say this yes, reena did what she did, not for us as staff, but for our clients.

00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:51.786
This is the clients building.

00:18:51.786 --> 00:18:56.763
This isn't our building, okay um, we wouldn't be where we are without them.

00:18:56.784 --> 00:18:58.307
It's a good point and um.

00:18:58.729 --> 00:19:09.093
So when I look from at the growth that has happened with PACE as an organization and with our clients, um, it's amazing.

00:19:09.093 --> 00:19:22.914
We came from Brightwood area, martindale, brightwood to Meridian but it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for our people you know, our community, the people that we serve.

00:19:23.957 --> 00:19:32.058
They need this building, you know, and I'm glad that it is a little nicer though, but they deserve this.

00:19:32.058 --> 00:19:42.553
They deserve walking into a space that is welcoming, because they've been in places that aren't so welcoming and having doors shut on them.

00:19:42.553 --> 00:19:52.946
So I think, when individuals come home or come off the street or just walk and they're like, man, this is your space this isn't our space.

00:19:52.967 --> 00:19:57.738
This is your space and welcome steve, you're you familiar with the brightwood area?

00:19:57.738 --> 00:20:00.028
I know of it, know of it.

00:20:00.028 --> 00:20:07.846
Okay, yeah, so like we, like you can, like we had walk-ins like regular over on keystone, like people just come in and get a sandwich.

00:20:07.846 --> 00:20:10.287
That's what we do, you know.

00:20:10.287 --> 00:20:15.390
People like, hey, we'll get an email from the back saying can somebody bring some sandwiches up front?

00:20:15.410 --> 00:20:16.690
We got you know a couple people.

00:20:16.809 --> 00:20:24.354
I mean, it's raw yeah it's raw, yeah, it's raw, and so we left a void over there.

00:20:24.354 --> 00:20:34.578
You know, in that area, you know, when we moved down here kind of downtown, you know, like, you know, we was a beacon of light over there, but we took our show on the road.

00:20:34.578 --> 00:20:38.721
We kind of own the meridian, you know we own the meridian now, you know.

00:20:38.721 --> 00:20:41.281
So we not too far this way or that way.

00:20:41.281 --> 00:20:42.143
We right in the middle.

00:20:42.143 --> 00:20:43.982
So, yeah, so people can get to us.

00:20:43.982 --> 00:20:51.790
Right, we're on a bus line and it's a little bit more accessible and it's, it's our space, right so it actually serves your client, it serves our clients.

00:20:51.871 --> 00:20:56.890
Well, you know what I mean, and we were sharing that space with other agencies, so you know so.

00:20:56.890 --> 00:21:00.986
So some stuff get you know and and it was called health net, you know.

00:21:00.986 --> 00:21:04.941
So they actually had people that we use and we utilize their service.

00:21:04.941 --> 00:21:07.768
So it was, it was a good mixture over there, though I can.

00:21:07.827 --> 00:21:11.734
I can relate and you've been here since when um january.

00:21:11.734 --> 00:21:22.055
Okay, january coming up on six months here, yeah, so you're still getting adjusted, do you find yourself driving to the wrong place still in the morning?

00:21:22.055 --> 00:21:22.095
I?

00:21:22.435 --> 00:21:29.051
find myself um missing this space you know um, because that's where it was home.

00:21:29.051 --> 00:21:36.060
You know, that was the first place I landed when I came home from my away time.

00:21:36.060 --> 00:21:40.045
It was the first place I landed and it was so welcoming.

00:21:40.045 --> 00:21:57.086
But I think over here, just having that same energy and same open door and same welcome home um, kindness and policy, if you will, Um, um, has made this feel better.

00:21:57.460 --> 00:21:59.587
You know I'm not a fan of change.

00:21:59.587 --> 00:22:19.435
I know it needs to happen and I know in the forefront of my mind is we are growing and we are getting bigger and the more that we have space to hold these programs and to allow people coming in in groups and stuff is best for the person we're serving.

00:22:19.435 --> 00:22:22.525
You know our family members, so why not?

00:22:22.685 --> 00:22:28.029
Yeah, lynn, you mentioned you're head of the kitchen, or?

00:22:28.049 --> 00:22:28.592
food services.

00:22:30.621 --> 00:22:34.612
So obviously there must be some eating going on around here.

00:22:35.259 --> 00:22:40.833
Well, this is a brand new position that Ms Edwards established.

00:22:40.833 --> 00:22:45.829
So basically, I am the manager over the kitchen.

00:22:45.829 --> 00:22:46.811
What does that mean?

00:22:46.811 --> 00:22:49.848
That means that we deal with second helpings.

00:22:49.848 --> 00:22:51.464
They are our provider.

00:22:51.464 --> 00:22:58.894
The different meals that they bring over, we're very honored to have.

00:22:58.894 --> 00:23:10.859
I try to ration them out the best way that I can, and sometimes we're able to go and order other items of food also, and that is for the clients.

00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:12.683
All this is client based.

00:23:12.683 --> 00:23:16.632
Everything that we receive is for our clients.

00:23:16.632 --> 00:23:19.644
We want to make sure that nobody goes hungry.

00:23:19.644 --> 00:23:30.290
And then, during just just like this is AYC week, like right now, we have maybe 10 or 11 participants each day.

00:23:30.290 --> 00:23:40.432
So you know that's a lot of people to feed, especially when you're feeding breakfast, because you know, I believe, that everybody deserves, you know, a nice.

00:23:40.432 --> 00:23:41.719
Everybody deserves, you know, a nice meal.

00:23:41.719 --> 00:23:54.622
You know, even if it's a hot meal or even if it's something you always want to have, something that's going to be nutrition based, because I mean here again, if you're sitting in a classroom, you want to be able to feel good.

00:23:54.622 --> 00:23:59.422
You don't want your stomach growling, like jeannie was saying over there my stomach's growling.

00:23:59.561 --> 00:24:00.223
I need a sandwich.

00:24:00.243 --> 00:24:01.990
You need to get some of that food to her.

00:24:03.161 --> 00:24:19.786
She's welcome to anything that's in there, but my main thing is just making sure that the clients are able to get what they need and, like I said, even though I'm the food service manager and I'm doing this, we also have a food intern position that we're looking for.

00:24:19.786 --> 00:24:28.446
It could be a senior, or it could either be someone that's interested in applying for this position and they would do what I'm currently doing.

00:24:28.446 --> 00:24:34.859
Okay, so, and then I would train them to do that and get their food handler certification.

00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:38.650
And then you would spend more time with what your other part of your job.

00:24:38.670 --> 00:24:39.913
There you go, Absolutely.

00:24:39.913 --> 00:24:43.704
You know you do what you have to do exactly, exactly so.

00:24:43.825 --> 00:24:51.109
Are those meals being served right here to clients that are on site maybe taking a class, that kind of thing?

00:24:52.093 --> 00:24:54.980
well, yeah, because, like um steve, you know we were talking about connection.

00:24:54.980 --> 00:25:01.352
What better way to connect with my peers and my my group of people but sitting down and breaking bread, right?

00:25:02.053 --> 00:25:12.484
um, so they're here all day and um, they're here from like 8, 30 until 3, you know, and it's a group setting, so getting connection with other people.

00:25:12.484 --> 00:25:32.587
Um, a lot of times our people come in and they might not have a support group or whatever, and finding that support in these groups and breaking bread, getting to know each other, and a lot of our people aren't able to leave once they're here because of their correction status, meaning like they're on home detention.

00:25:32.587 --> 00:25:34.307
And once you're here, you're here.

00:25:34.307 --> 00:25:39.491
You can't go somewhere and pick up a McDonald's sandwich across the way.

00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:42.449
So this is almost like their job site.

00:25:42.449 --> 00:25:48.230
It is yeah, now they don't actually spend the night here though.

00:25:48.310 --> 00:25:49.653
No, no, no, no.

00:25:49.653 --> 00:25:51.102
We're not a shelter Right.

00:25:51.241 --> 00:25:54.528
Right, but you're all day, all day.

00:25:54.528 --> 00:25:55.450
Doors are open.

00:25:55.450 --> 00:25:58.162
How many people might be here at a time?

00:25:59.305 --> 00:26:02.011
I guess it depends on what programming we have going on.

00:26:02.011 --> 00:26:09.627
You know, the yes Kids come in and they're not really kids, they are individuals that are what 17 to 24?

00:26:09.627 --> 00:26:09.627
.

00:26:09.647 --> 00:26:11.291
Out of us?

00:26:11.332 --> 00:26:13.967
Yeah, they have programming going on.

00:26:13.967 --> 00:26:17.089
I mean, one time we had a lot of different programming going on.

00:26:17.089 --> 00:26:21.230
We had 50 people in the building, not including staff, at one time.

00:26:21.230 --> 00:26:27.230
There are busy days, you know, Orientation is buzzing around here you know.

00:26:27.921 --> 00:26:30.948
So you hold an orientation every so often.

00:26:30.948 --> 00:26:47.671
Every two weeks, every other Monday, every other Monday, and that's one of those things that you're actually in the prison saying here's when you need to come, or or not yes, that's basically what I do when I go into the jails and I'm doing the orientation.

00:26:48.271 --> 00:26:50.442
I don't the off-site orientation.

00:26:50.442 --> 00:26:51.445
Off-site, excuse me.

00:26:51.445 --> 00:26:51.926
Yeah, you're right.

00:26:52.347 --> 00:26:57.185
Oh, there's two orientations, oh, I got you, um, which I'm connected with.

00:26:57.185 --> 00:27:06.406
The second chance is what Jeannie is saying and then the off-site is basically like what Jeannie does for the orientation here when people sign up.

00:27:06.406 --> 00:27:08.165
So it's like two different orientations.

00:27:08.185 --> 00:27:09.169
Yes, got you.

00:27:09.169 --> 00:27:22.741
So, Ray, I'm curious and I've already forgotten the name, but I remember the image the cone, the trauma coming in and you're trying to change what's coming out.

00:27:22.741 --> 00:27:29.642
Yes, tell me a little bit more about what's involved with that so it's like decision making, right.

00:27:30.442 --> 00:27:32.948
so, um, just making good decisions.

00:27:32.948 --> 00:27:36.382
You want to be able to walk inside of a grocery store like I.

00:27:36.382 --> 00:27:43.823
I met an individual that said I just can't keep my hands off this stuff when I go in the store, right, and that's.

00:27:43.823 --> 00:27:48.113
You know, that's because of what went inside the cone, right?

00:27:48.361 --> 00:27:51.647
Even though they know it's wrong, they don't want to do it.

00:27:51.788 --> 00:27:53.859
Right, right, and it's just like it's just what comes out.

00:27:54.020 --> 00:27:55.380
It's what comes out the cone, right?

00:27:55.380 --> 00:28:02.314
So a bad decision came out the cone from what went on top of it, right out the bottom of it, right?

00:28:02.314 --> 00:28:09.501
So what we try to do is like work and meet the person where they're at in that time, right, like okay.

00:28:09.501 --> 00:28:11.290
So like these are bad decisions.

00:28:11.290 --> 00:28:12.404
How did you come to do that?

00:28:12.404 --> 00:28:18.972
You know it could be something like what just Lynn and Jeannie just alluded to food insecurity, right?

00:28:18.972 --> 00:28:22.651
So when they grew up, you grew up with food insecurity growing up.

00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:26.871
So there's this compulsion to take, to act yeah.

00:28:26.971 --> 00:28:30.209
Right, I mean, that's a and we want to touch on that.

00:28:30.209 --> 00:28:47.286
We want to talk about like let's have a conversation about that, Because you could be right in what you're doing, right, like, if me and you was only the last two people on the earth and there was an apple there, by right, half of that apple is yours.

00:28:47.286 --> 00:28:49.332
You see what I'm saying.

00:28:49.332 --> 00:29:11.063
So we need to kind of like get our guys to understand that some of the decisions you're making, some of it is on you, but some of it is also out of your control, and what you need to do is figure out how you can work with what's in your control and part of it.

00:29:11.063 --> 00:29:15.012
We know the system is unfair, so we want to put that out there.

00:29:15.012 --> 00:29:22.213
We know the system is unfair, but you still have to deal with an unfair system because that's the hand you're dealt.

00:29:22.213 --> 00:29:29.755
So we kind of use a concept of like playing cards, spades, and that's a popular game in prison, I don't know if you know that.

00:29:30.863 --> 00:29:33.170
So everybody plays spades in prison, right?

00:29:33.170 --> 00:29:40.034
So what we try to do is give them concepts like this to translate over to real world experience.

00:29:40.034 --> 00:29:45.025
Concepts like this to translate over to real world experience.

00:29:45.025 --> 00:29:55.747
So in spades, um, we always talk about leading with your strong suit, because that's the, that's the kind of the goal, right, you lead with your strong suit, and when you're playing cards, you're gonna have to lead with your strong suit when you walk outside the door.

00:29:55.747 --> 00:30:03.250
So if you was able to, you know, um, position yourself to get to a point where they actually release you and you didn't, you.

00:30:03.250 --> 00:30:06.190
So you know how to stay out of the way, you know.

00:30:06.190 --> 00:30:08.428
And so we kind of build on those things, right?

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:13.291
Yeah, so how much time are you actually in the prisons doing that?

00:30:13.680 --> 00:30:15.105
So we, there are five days a week.

00:30:15.105 --> 00:30:24.848
So yeah, yeah, I get that all the time Like after doing personally the time that I've spent inside prison, like how are you going back in there?

00:30:24.848 --> 00:30:25.609
Five, days a week.

00:30:25.609 --> 00:30:26.611
That's freaking.

00:30:26.611 --> 00:30:28.011
I can't crack that up.

00:30:28.593 --> 00:30:30.795
Because you're leading with your strong suit.

00:30:30.914 --> 00:30:32.297
I'm leading with my strong suit.

00:30:32.297 --> 00:30:37.221
So, and, like I said, this is not work for me.

00:30:37.221 --> 00:30:39.547
So we're in there for like some days.

00:30:39.547 --> 00:30:47.289
We're in there from um, I like, we have to, like, I have to get up, I have to clock in on the road right because I have to travel.

00:30:47.289 --> 00:30:50.825
So, like, like, like the prison, don't come to indianapolis.

00:30:50.964 --> 00:30:59.470
You know, prisons are in rural towns okay plainfield, pendleton, you know so so you have to get in the car and drive away.

00:30:59.490 --> 00:31:02.286
Yeah, yeah yeah, so yeah, and that's mileage and everything.

00:31:02.286 --> 00:31:07.779
So, if you're listening, we got a what we got Cash App or something on the website Uh-uh Raymond.

00:31:07.779 --> 00:31:09.665
What we got on our website.

00:31:09.665 --> 00:31:10.126
What is it?

00:31:10.126 --> 00:31:11.488
How do you donate to Pace?

00:31:11.488 --> 00:31:12.212
I forgot.

00:31:12.272 --> 00:31:13.279
By going on the website.

00:31:16.826 --> 00:31:17.788
Yeah, by going on the website.

00:31:18.167 --> 00:31:19.631
We got Credit cards.

00:31:19.631 --> 00:31:20.412
I don't know.

00:31:20.593 --> 00:31:22.015
Okay, just go to our website.

00:31:22.361 --> 00:31:23.287
They can find that.

00:31:23.307 --> 00:31:24.093
They can find that.

00:31:24.113 --> 00:31:27.484
Yeah, just go on our website, because that's the kind of stuff it pays for.

00:31:27.484 --> 00:31:30.353
That's the kind of stuff you need to get there, absolutely Right.

00:31:32.862 --> 00:31:38.046
So you thinking like my personal vehicle, like that's the vehicle that I use to go to the prison?

00:31:38.046 --> 00:31:45.412
Okay, like we don't have a pace, even the name Pace, we don't have a pace car, a pacer Okay, we don't have a pacer around here.

00:31:45.531 --> 00:31:47.453
You need a pace car yeah.

00:31:47.713 --> 00:31:49.836
Yeah, we don't have that.

00:31:49.836 --> 00:31:51.557
So, yeah, please donate generously.

00:31:51.557 --> 00:32:01.914
Maybe we could talk in the 500 to donating the pace car to you, Steve.

00:32:01.954 --> 00:32:03.059
that's the plug.

00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:05.507
Let 500 to donating the the pace car to you, steve, that's the plug.

00:32:05.527 --> 00:32:05.748
Let's do it.

00:32:05.748 --> 00:32:06.652
I hope the right person's listening.

00:32:06.652 --> 00:32:12.548
I do, and you could get there quicker too, for real, and it's gonna help a lot of people for real, for real, yeah so yeah, I'm, I'm there from.

00:32:13.230 --> 00:32:16.163
Uh, I have to get up in the morning at, and I get up.

00:32:16.163 --> 00:32:17.365
I'm an early rise anyway.

00:32:17.365 --> 00:32:20.291
We people are you a night owl or are you an early bird?

00:32:20.291 --> 00:32:21.233
Which one?

00:32:21.233 --> 00:32:23.808
So I'm an early bird, so I'm up early.

00:32:23.808 --> 00:32:27.470
So I'm on the road by 6 o'clock, 6.30.

00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:36.411
I get to the prison about 7.30-ish, right, it's about an hour drive from my house, and so we go inside.

00:32:36.411 --> 00:32:44.769
So we're there from 7.50 all the way up to 10 o'clock on some days.

00:32:44.769 --> 00:32:45.915
And then we go to another prison in Plainfield.

00:32:45.915 --> 00:32:57.547
We'll leave, we'll leave Pendleton and jump on 69 and come around and try to get to 70 West and head out to Plainfield, and we're out there from 12 to three.

00:32:57.547 --> 00:32:58.971
So that's a four day.

00:32:58.971 --> 00:33:00.663
So we don't do two prison.

00:33:00.663 --> 00:33:02.862
It's only one day out a week that that happens.

00:33:02.862 --> 00:33:06.531
We get jammed up like that, right, and I say jammed up because it's a double up.

00:33:06.531 --> 00:33:08.786
You know you're doing one and going to the other, the other.

00:33:08.786 --> 00:33:10.851
The other times we just half and half.

00:33:10.851 --> 00:33:17.363
We just we're there in the morning and then we're in the office in the afternoon, or we're there in the afternoon and in the office in the morning.

00:33:18.483 --> 00:33:20.446
I'm an individual in prison.

00:33:20.446 --> 00:33:23.730
How do I come in contact with you?

00:33:23.730 --> 00:33:27.556
How much time might I spend with you?

00:33:30.784 --> 00:33:32.247
How does that work?

00:33:32.247 --> 00:33:35.693
Okay, so what we try to do is we're there 10 weeks.

00:33:35.693 --> 00:33:37.704
We have a 10-week program.

00:33:37.704 --> 00:33:46.910
It's actually eight weeks of book work and um journaling so it's a set program, it's not just one-on-one.

00:33:46.950 --> 00:33:56.189
It's not just one-on-one so, but what we do is for individuals who have a release date that are that is outside of our benchmark, right?

00:33:56.189 --> 00:34:05.843
So like we have some people who are not getting out to 2026, so, but you have some people that are getting out next month.

00:34:05.843 --> 00:34:27.485
So we, we we kind of cater to everybody by coming in once a week just to see the people that we've dealt with, that have did the 10 weeks and they're still there and their outdates are out here in 20s, because a lot of the things that we work on could be quickly reversed in an environment like that if we don't come back and check in?

00:34:27.664 --> 00:34:34.172
yes, so we come back and check in just to hey how you doing man, what's going on, how was your week, how was your weekend?

00:34:34.172 --> 00:34:35.878