It’s an amazing feeling to be so impacted by others. All around I am a different person. I am kind, generous, loving, understanding. I feel like I’m the man I was meant to be.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be so impacted by others,” Bart says. “I have sober clean friends. All around I am a different person. I am kind, generous, loving, understanding. I feel like I’m the man I was meant to be.”
Today, Bart speaks with confidence, gratitude, and pride about the life he has built. But getting to this point was not easy.
His journey through Pathways Home is one of perseverance, encouragement, and transformation — proof that with the right support, people can rediscover hope and completely change the direction of their lives.
Holding Onto Hope During Reentry
Even before his release, Bart wanted something different for his future.
“When I was in prison, I was very optimistic when I heard about the program,” he says. “When I signed up, my case manager got in contact with me. We had appointments every two weeks and she kept me informed with what was available such as the services she offered and jobs that were available.”
That connection gave Bart something many people need during reentry: consistency, guidance, and someone who genuinely cared.
“My worker made it easy to get ahold of and was always available,” Bart says. “It made my transition from prison to the community a lot easier.”
But when he returned to the community, the emotional weight of starting over became overwhelming.
Fighting Through Depression and Self-Doubt
“After I was released I fell into a deep depression,” Bart recalls. “I didn’t have housing, I didn’t feel like I belonged, I felt like I wasn’t worthy of the assistance I was being provided.”
Bart’s Re-Entry Specialist, Caylen, remembers how difficult those early days were.
“When he was first released from prison, he seemed unmotivated and very down,” she says.
Still, Bart continued meeting with Caylen every two weeks — and those conversations became a lifeline.
“But when I met with my worker every two weeks, it kept the spark and motivation in me and gave me something to work for,” Bart says. “It reminded me that there was a better life ahead. Just talking with my worker helped me so much. She took the time to talk with me and help me.”
For Bart, support was about much more than services. It was about having positive people who believed in him before he fully believed in himself.
“I really needed support of positive people in my life to let me know there was a better life available,” he says. “I really looked forward to having the positive support of my case manager.”
Building a Better Future
Bart knew employment would be the first major step toward stability.
“A job was my first priority,” he says. “I also needed assistance with work clothing.”
Through Pathways Home, Caylen helped connect Bart with practical resources that made moving forward possible. The program assisted with gas cards, work clothing, resume updates, job referrals, referrals to job fairs, and even support with one month’s rent.
Then came the moment everything began to change.
“One day he called me and informed me he got a job, and everything switched,” Caylen says. “He seemed so excited about his future again.”
That excitement quickly grew into confidence.
“Since working with him, he has really changed,” Caylen explains. “He is so much more confident now. I can hear it in his voice how proud he is of the person he is becoming.”
Becoming the Man He Was Meant to Be
The goals Bart once dreamed about are now realities he gets to live every day.
“I got a job, purchased two vehicles, successfully completed AODA programming, I have my own apartment, I’m on minimum supervision,” he says proudly.
His transformation reaches far beyond employment and housing. Caylen says Bart’s entire mindset changed over the course of the program.
“He is not only proud of his employment accomplishments, but he is so proud of all of his relationships,” she says. “He says others are able to actually lean on him now for support. His mindset has completely changed. He really does seem like a different person since his initial enrollment.”
Bart sees that change in himself too.
“I feel like I make an impact on people now,” he says.
At work, he has found both stability and purpose.
“I am most proud of my status at work,” Bart says. “I have came so far in the last year. I have been employee of the month four times since I started working at my employment.”
Now, he is focused on continuing to build for the future by saving money and maintaining the life he worked so hard to create.
Bart’s Advice for Others Reentering the Community
Because Bart understands firsthand how difficult reentry can be, he hopes others will reach out for support as early as possible.
“A lot of individuals have depression when they get released,” he says. “It’s really important to fight through it. It’s the little things in life, not the big things. Get services right away from organizations so you have someone to lean on.”
Programs like Pathways Home help individuals build stability, reconnect with their communities, and rediscover the person they were meant to be — just like Bart did.
Pathways Home in this area is made possible by the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board.
