Calendar of Events

July
24	Graduation for STRIVE class #133, 11:00 AM
31	Orientation for STRIVE class #134, 9:00 AM
31	Registration deadline for Invest in Others 5K race

August
51	Invest in Others 5K race, 7:00 AM
21	Graduation for STRIVE class #134, 11:00 AM
28	Orientation for STRIVE class #135, 9:00 AM

Complete calendar of events online

Support Second Chance in the LPL Financial Invest in Others 5K Fun Run/Walk on Aug. 15

Beautiful views, bright sunshine and a chance to greatly help Second Chance--that's how we'll be spending Saturday, August 15. We invite you to join us in a run or walk around scenic San Diego Bay. Second Chance is pleased to be recognized as the beneficiary of a generous contribution from the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation in honor of the individuals who participate in its first annual 5K run/walk on August 15. Established in 2006, the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) charity founded with the mission of encouraging and supporting the philanthropic and volunteer activities of financial advisors in their local communities. The purpose of the run/walk is to promote and encourage philanthropy amongst financial services industry representatives at this year's LPL Financial national conference in San Diego which is one of the largest gatherings of financial industry professionals in the nation. To help Invest in Others make a valuable contribution to Second Chance and the San Diego community, come join us for a fun run or walk along the marina by registering online today! The registration deadline is July 31.

Lee: "Second Chance was a New Beginning"

Last year, Lee was let go from California Marketing after working there for several months. The day he left, he returned to Second Chance to do two things. First, he pre-paid his rent for the next two months so he would be certain to have a place to live while he was job hunting. Next, he met with his job developer and used the computer lab to begin the search for another job.

Lee came to Second Chance as part of the Prisoner Re-entry Employment Program (PREP). He came directly from prison. Second Chance provided him with 60 days of subsidized housing in a sober living home, the STRIVE job readiness class, and the little things he needed to be able to live until he found a job: basic food assistance, transit system tokens, toiletries, and clothing. "It was a new beginning," he says.

He was also part of the drug court program which required him to attend 18 months of classes and meetings to ensure he was well into recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and ready to live a clean and sober life from now on. He was excited to graduate in January 2009.

After graduating in Class 108, Lee had trouble finding a job. With a string of jail and prison terms on his record and convictions for drug offenses, assault and other crimes he experienced a difficult time trying to find an employer that would give him a chance. He fell behind on his rent at Second Chance's Hartley House but paid everything he could, and the house manager could tell he was trying his best. When he finally landed a job, he worked very hard so he could pay back all of his rent.

"Second Chance and STRIVE accepted me as I was. I didn't have to pretend to be someone else as I had pretended for years. They gave me lots of one-on-one time and attention so that I got what I needed. They saw in me things that I didn't even see in myself and helped me focus on the future. I learned not to give up and to move forward." In that spirit, Lee has a set of plans for the future including going to school to learn to be a long-haul trucker and getting into the real estate business "because people will always need a place to live".

"I needed a place with structure. I needed a safe haven where I didn't have to deal with the old places and people. Without Second Chance, I would probably have ended up in the old neighborhood, falling back into old habits, right back into the cycle of drugs, crime and prison. Instead, I have plans for my future and a second chance."