Written by Daniel Rowe
Last month, I had the opportunity to spend a day with our lead driver, Mr. Leslie Sanders, as we headed to eastern Indiana to decommission an old server room. The four-hour round trip provided us with an opportunity to talk about a variety of topics; the best burgers in Indianapolis, the best places to buy car parts online, and our families. The latter topic brought about some deep conversations where I began to learn the depth of Mr. Sanders’ love for his children and the journey he’s been on since being released from incarceration.
Mr. Sanders came to us almost three years ago after being incarcerated for more than twenty years. As someone classified as “high risk to reoffend,” he was referred to our program immediately after his release. During his first meeting with his parole officer, Mr. Sanders was told that he was certain to reoffend and would be back in jail within 30 days. Mr. Sanders’ adult daughters, who accompanied him on the visit, started crying when they heard this, but he told them not to worry – he’s going to be there for them. The parole officer told him that he needed to go to RecycleForce.
While on the road, I asked him, “Why are you still here? I’m sure you could get a job as a driver anywhere right now.”
His answer reminded me of the impact that we make on peoples’ lives; “I believe in RecycleForce. It helped me, and I want people to know how it changed my life.”
As we worked, he talked about re-establishing relationships with his daughters and his grandchildren – taking them to the fair, buying his granddaughters a doll, and the joy he experiences when he walks in and they yell, “GRANDPA!” He described how he struggled early on with his parole officer, who was extremely tough on him, and how the relationship improved after discussing the situation with a RecycleForce staff member. The staff member shared with the parole officer that Mr. Sanders was an ideal employee, always on-time, hardworking, and a person that had built trust with his peers and the Recycleforce staff. After this exchange, the parole officer became one of his biggest advocates, eventually writing a letter to have his parole completed early (something that seemed impossible, but with the officer’s help became a reality).
Ex-offenders struggle to find housing and Mr. Sanders’ plight was no different. No one would give him a chance to apply. Again, a staff member reached out to a local management company. With the recommendation and assurance that Mr. Sanders was a hard worker with a steady paycheck, he was able to rent an apartment. He has not missed a payment.
Mr. Sanders is one of our Peer Mentors and leads our morning Circle once a week. He is generally the first person at our warehouse each day and works at our Saturday toxic waste drop-off location.
Is Mr. Sanders perfect and without fault? Absolutely not. He acknowledges the pitfalls he must avoid to stay on the straight and narrow path. After our discussion, I quickly realized the positive effect his success is having on himself, his children and grandchildren. His daughters are getting to know their father again. His grandchildren have a loving grandfather. He is a productive member of society.
RecycleForce has helped Mr. Sanders get out of the revolving door of incarceration and recidivism that plagues our country. Our program is not only successful because of people like Mr. Sanders, but it thrives due to our partnerships with corporations, nonprofit organization, local governments, and individuals around the Indianapolis area and beyond.
If you would like to start your new year with a clean slate (and a clean storage room), contact us. Remember, RecycleForce will take anything with a plug. Your donations make a difference to our environment and to people like Mr. Leslie Sanders.