How Cash Assistance Helped John Train to Save Lives

John grew up in South Sacramento, California, and saw things that a young boy just shouldn’t see.

“It became normal to see drug dealing, drug use, violent crimes, people getting messed up, people getting shot,” said John.

“It’s what I thought life was like.”

A child of divorce, John lived with his mother, who he says wasn’t as involved as she should have been.

“My mother was really young when she had me and was much more into her own life,” said John.

“She wasn’t really checking on me.”

Meanwhile, his father, a military veteran with a state job, saw him only every other weekend, and John says he couldn’t compete with the life he was exposed to at home, thanks to his uncles on his mother’s side.

“They were validated gang members, they had been to prison, and they were the only role models I was willing to look up to,” said John.

Studies show that children from homes with negative family characteristics, such as a lack of parental supervision, can be at a greater risk of becoming delinquents or criminals and that negative peer interactions can influence youth behavior, contributing to academic dishonesty, illicit drug use, underage drinking and smoking, teenage pregnancy, and criminal activities.

It was no different for John, and the fast lifestyle he saw his uncles live was too much to resist.

“I don't come from money, so when I was a kid I just wanted nice things, and that’s what led me into crime.”

John says he became enamored with money and started dealing drugs in his early teens to get it. Over time, his choices led him down a path that resulted in multiple stays in juvenile detention. He also began struggling with alcohol use and eventually dropped out of school. Then, in 2010, right before his 21st birthday, he was involved in a situation that led to a six-year prison sentence.

When he was finally released, despite losing most of his 20s, John struggled to find his footing. Instead of building a new path forward, he fell back into old patterns and was soon caught in the same cycle, which led him to prison a few more times. When he finally got out, he was older and wiser.

“I had lost my grandfather while I was inside, and I realized that the only reason I couldn't be there for him in the end was because of my selfishness,” said John.

“That made me start to change.”

John left prison for the last time on August 21, 2024, at 35 years old. Sober and determined never to return, he had a strict plan to pursue the education and training he needed to build a career as a wildlife firefighter. He had developed an aptitude for and interest in this job when, during his previous imprisonment, he participated in the California Conservation (Fire) Camp Program.

“I got over 1000 hours actually fighting fires. I worked hard at it, and my captain at the time was always pushing me to pursue it as a career,” said John.

“He said it was my calling.”

Upon his release, John registered at Cosumnes River College to complete the prerequisite courses for their firefighter certification program. Although he received FAFSA financial aid to cover his classes, he soon discovered that it would not cover any additional expenses.

“I got the classes paid for, but the books are also expensive, there are certifications required, and specific training gear I needed, and there was no way I was going to be able to afford all of that,” said John.

Thanks to the CA HIRE program, a needs-based grant from the California Workforce Development Board awarded to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), John received $1500 in cash payments through CEO’s partnership with reentry organizations like the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Today, he is focused on staying close to his family, maintaining his sobriety, and building a career dedicated to helping others.

“I want to reach my potential and know I can do it. I just need a little assistance,” said John.

“The cash assistance helped me tremendously with that opportunity.”

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