CONTINUE TO BRING MORE
INFORMATION AS WE GET IT.
BACK IN APRIL, WE TOLD YOU
ABOUT STRENGTHENING FATHERS.
IT'S A PROGRAM CREATED BY
NORFOLK CENTER.
NOW THE PROGRAM HAS ITS FIRST
GRADUATES.
I DID SIT DOWN WITH DARIUS
DENNIS AND HE SAID HE WANTED TO
SHARE HIS STORY TO BE AN EXAMPLE
AND SHOW PEOPLE YOU CAN TURN
THINGS AROUND.
DARIUS SAYS HE KNEW HE WAS GOING
DOWN THE WRONG ROAD.
EVERY TIME HE GOT INVOLVED IN
DRUGS SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED.
HE HAS THREE YOUNG DAUGHTERS TO
CARE FOR SO HE DECIDED IT WAS
TIME TO LIVE LIFE FOR THEM.
YOU COULD SAY DARIUS DENNIS
WORKS TWO JOBS, ONE AT A LOCAL
PANERA, THE OTHER BEING A ROLE
MODEL FOR HIS THREE YOUNG
DAUGHTERS.
I USED TO MAKE UP A LOT OF
EXCUSES.
DENNIS WAS 18 THE FIRST TIME
HE WENT TO JAIL.
SOON AFTER HE BECAME A PARENT.
HIS MINIMUM WAGE JOB WASN'T
ENOUGH TO PROVIDE FOR HIS NEW
FAMILY SO HE TURNED TO SELLING
DRUGS.
I JUST GOT INTO, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WAS GOING ON ON THE
OUTSIDE, ME AND MY FRIENDS.
THAT SPIRALED INTO ANOTHER
TRIP TO JAIL, THEN TWO MORE
DAUGHTERS, AND FINALLY ON THE
THIRD TRIP IT HIT HIM,
EVERYTHING HE DID AFFECTED THE
LIST OF HIS THREE DAUGHTERS.
I HAVE THREE KIDS NOW.
SO DENNIS SIGNED UP FOR THE
STRENGTHENING FATHER'S PROGRAM.
HE COMPLETED ALL OF IT IN JAIL.
HE MET WITH HIS LIFE COACH
MICHAEL JONES.
THE LIFESTYLE OF THE
INSTITUTION IS VERY DIFFERENT,
SO YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO KIND OF
HELP YOU NAVIGATE GETTING BACK
INTO WHAT WE CALL THE REAL
WORLD.
JONES IS ALSO A FATHER AND
WORKS FOR THE CHESAPEAKE
COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD.
HE GREW UP WITHOUT HIS FATHER
AROUND.
I WANTED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL
HELPER.
THAT'S WHAT BRINGS ME JOY,
KNOWING I CAN BE A PART OF
SOMEBODY ELSE'S SUCCESS.
HE AND DENNIS HAVE MET ALMOST
EVERY WEEK SINCE DENNIS WAS
RELEASED.
JONES FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING A
RELATIONSHIP.
I AM HERE FOR YOU WHEN YOU
NEED ME, HOWEVER YOU NEED ME.
STRENGTHENING FATHERS IS NOW
IN A NUMBER OF JAILS ACROSS THE
REGION.
AFTER OUR FIRST STORY AIRED 30
MEN REACHED OUT TO THE CENTER
ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SO FAR SIX HAVE GONE THROUGH THE
TRAINING.
SOME OF THEM ARE READY TO
CHANGE, AS YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE
WITH MR. DARIUS DENNIS, BUT THEN
THERE ARE SOME WHO AREN'T READY
TO CHANGE.
CHANGE IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND IT'S NOT A ONE-MAN
SHOW.
DENNIS HAS HAD HIS FAIR SHARE
OF CHALLENGES WHILE
TRANSITIONING OUT OF JAIL.
NOT ONLY WITH PARENTING, BUT
ALSO FINDING EMPLOYMENT.
THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE
QUESTION, ARE YOU A FELON,
ALWAYS THE QUESTION ON THERE.
AND IT MAKES ME FEEL A CERTAIN
TYPE OF WAY BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL
LIKE I AM A BAD PERSON.
THAT ROADBLOCK DIDN'T STOP
HIM.
HE GOT A JOB AND IT KEEPS HIM
BUSY.
HIS EYES ARE NOW ON THE FUTURE,
CULINARY SCHOOL, MAKING MUSIC,
GOING TO COLLEGE, HE SEES
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES.
BUT IN THOSE RARE MOMENTS OF
DOUBT HE NOW SEES THREE REASONS
TO NOT GIVE UP.
BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THE
PERSON THAT'S THERE THAT THEY
RUN TO.
LIKE WE MENTIONED THEY ARE
LOOKING FOR MORE LIFE COACHES
AND PARTICIPANTS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EITHER
