Ubeka wants what most people want in their lives: peace, a home, a happy family; and he feels like after being involved in READI Chicago, he will finally be in a position to start building that life.

“I want the opposite life of what I’ve had until now, to live and see things outside of the environment I grew up in,” Ubeka said. “I want a chance to say I’ve lived instead of struggled.”

When Ubeka found out he had secured a spot in the READI Chicago program, just four months after re-entering the community he had been removed from while incarcerated, the 23-year-old was overjoyed.

“I was smiling as soon as they called me,” Ubeka said. “After those five years in prison, I knew I needed to steer myself in the right direction and focus on what matters. Now I look at READI as a privilege, something to aspire to.”

Ubeka shared that while he now feels much more prepared to secure and maintain a steady job, READI Chicago has helped him in many other ways, and even saved his life.

“I didn’t think CAD was helpful, but then I was almost killed a few months ago,” Ubeka said. “In the moment, I remembered what I learned and kept myself collected and calmed the situation down.”

CAD, or Control + Alt + Delete, is what READI Chicago participants named the specialized cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum they receive. It focuses on slowing down the impulse between action and reaction, as Ubeka exercised when faced with a moment of critical decision-making after someone threatened him.

Through READI Chicago, Ubeka is already achieving experiences outside of his everyday environment. As part of a partnership with Chicago CRED, Ubeka, several other READI Chicago participants, and READI Englewood outreach worker Reality were able to travel to Washington, D.C. over Labor Day weekend.

During this visit, Ubeka and the others had the chance to visit Howard University; the Lincoln Memorial; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial; and the Jefferson Memorial. One of the most impactful moments of the trip was at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, when participants learned about segregation and the lasting effects of systemic racism on violence and Chicago.

“I think the thing that hit them most was how peaceful it was on this trip,” Reality said. “We got word that there had been a shooting back home in Englewood, and that’s when it really hit them, how important it is to be able to get out sometimes and have a chance to just breathe.”