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Ranch & Coast Magazine, October 2006
Growing up, Michael Rice maintained a grade point average of 3.5 and won dozens of trophies and medals in karate competitions. He planned to join the army one day. But harsh realities interrupted Rice's plans. His stepfather, who began
abusing him at age three, ended up in jail by the time Rice was 14. "When he went to prison, I had to be the man of the house."
At that young age, Rice began dealing marijuana to bring in some money for himself, his mother, and his younger sister. Things went downhill from there. During the next decade of his life, Rice earned money dealing crystal meth and running
an escort service. He used drugs heavily himself, got into gangs, and was shot and stabbed. He fathered two children, and was in and out of jail more times than he can count.
"I had plans to join the military and go to college, but I was stuck in that fast lifestyle," says Rice, looking back. "Because of the environment I was in, the plans I wanted for myself could never happen."
At 25, Rice was again sent to jail for the possession and sale of crystal meth and being armed with a handgun. Just before he was released on parole, Rice attended a presentation by an outreach advocate from Second Chance/STRIVE, a San
Diego organization dedicated to helping people recover from homelessness, unemployment, addiction, and gang involvement.
The program offers substance-free temporary housing, permanent housing placement, job readiness training, career clothing, job placement, mental health counseling, and two years of comprehensive follow-up care.
Rice knew this was an opportunity to break out of his destructive cycle. Even though he had been released from jail, he asked his parole officer if he could go back and finish his time in order to try Second Chance. "When I was in jail I
was doing a lot of life evaluating," says Rice. "I was tired of going in and out of jail, tired of not being in my daughters' lives." Through Second Chance, Rice attended job readiness classes and stayed in a sober living house for three
and a half months. "Second Chance taught me discipline and patience," says Rice. "There's more to life than the fast life. It doesn't hurt to be a law-abiding citizen." Within a week after completing the program, Second Chance helped
Michael land his first job in concessions at Petco Park.
Soon after, he was offered a job as a trainer at Second Chance. The program's executive director and founder, Scott Silverman, says that Rice's life experiences and high level of integrity make him an excellent trainer. "I love being a
trainer," says Rice, who shows up early most days. "I've seen so many walks of life, I can relate to a lot of the people. It's a wonderful gift."
Rice believes that Second Chance is effective because it offers a strong support system. "If I'm having hard times, if I need to talk to anybody, I can just come here." Silverman also attributes the program's success to its strong
community environment and comprehensive follow-up care. "We teach people that it's important to develop relationships quickly and in a positive way," he explains. "My team exudes that and practices that with each other and in their own
lives with their families. We become that family for people when they first get out of wherever they've been. One of the things you feel when you're there is that we care about you and it's okay for you to care about yourself."
Silverman sees an embodiment of that model in Rice. "He's got a really strong feeling about giving back. He has taken significant time and commitment in turning his own life around, and he understands that in order to keep it, he has to
give it away."
Rice, now 28, has reconnected with his two daughters, helped his mother go through Second Chance, and is expecting a baby Christmas day with his fiancée, Patecia, whom he met in the program. "We laugh together. We're both steadily working.
She's a good woman," says Rice. "I'm happy with my life now. I take care of her, and she takes care of me." Rice hopes to buy a house by the time he is 30, and hopes to find the time to get back into karate. "I love martial arts," he says,
"it's a passion, and I was really good at it."
Second Chance/STRIVE has helped over 1,000 people find employment after incarceration, homelessness, or substance abuse. This month on October 21, the organization will graduate its 100th class.
Contact Information:
Jo-Ann Jaffe 619.234.8888, ext. 15
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