chi's Story

I’m from Chicago—Lakeshore Drive, to be exact—so I grew up with more than most. I had everything I needed. But something pulled me in a different direction. The streets were calling me. From the outside, it looked exciting. I had a car—they had multiple. I had some jewelry—they had more than I could count. At 16, 17, 18, it felt like they had everything. It was flashy, and I was drawn in early… and got hooked fast.

But what looked like everything turned out to be empty. After being incarcerated, I started hearing about programs—opportunities to change my life. That path led me here. When I found Brookside, everything began to shift. Brookside gave me a place to rebuild—a place where I was seen, challenged, and able to grow. This became home and changed how I see my story.

Because once you’ve experienced something real, you don’t keep it to yourself. You carry it forward. You bring light into places that feel as dark as where you once were. That’s what Brookside made possible for me—and what makes stories like mine possible for others.

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