No Turning Back
“" I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to be 50 years old with nothing.” This was the realization that pushed the 49-year-old to move forward into a completely new stage of his life. Since he was 21, Jackie Morris had been to prison nine times. Morris, alsoknownas“JackieBoDean,”moved to Madison when he was 16 and attended West High School. But his younger years were filled with troubles that would lead to later lessons. He started drinking at age 13, and those habits grew into him doing drugs well into his 20’s. His choices often left him without permanent housing, and he found himself sleeping in hallways or in various shelters. The times he was arrested often made him contemplate his decisions and lifestyle. While serving one of his sentences, he decided to work to receive his high school diploma. “I was sitting up in prison thinking, ‘I’ve got to do better for myself,’” Morris said. “I didn’t want to be a statistic.” When he was released from prison, Morris moved in with his sister and got a job at Hardy’s. “It was a humble job, but I knew I needed something,” he said, knowing he had to stay sober. He later worked as a housekeeper at a hotel for two years. It was while he was working in this position that he met someone who would help him change his life even more. It was Michael Johnson, CEO of the Dane County Boys and Girls Club. “I met Michael Johnson through my uncle, who works for him. But he really helped set my life on a much better course,” Morris said. Johnson later helped him get a job at UW Hospital, where he’s been working for four years cleaning and reprocessing equipment. He continued his mentorship under Johnson and began learning about more of the drive that pushed him to be a consistent servant in
the community. “I was just watching Michael and how involved he is in the community, and I loved seeing his passion,” Morris said. He began following this passion and dedicated his time to also helping the community however possible. When Johnson one day asked Morris to pick up some food to distribute to a local organization, Morris knew this was a way he wanted to assist those around him. He soon started distributing food throughout the community every week. “I lost a lot of years doing wrong and bad things, but now I felt it was time for me to give back to the community,” he said. In 2016, Morris furthered this decision when he partnered with Johnson and others within the Madison community to found the Focus Interruption Coalition. The organization responds to violence in the streets and offers support and mentorship to those involved in the altercations. “It was just all of the violence. There seemed like there was no stopping it, so we wanted to get some people together to help change that.” Since its founding, the organization has gained support and respect from local police and is now placing more of a focus on mentoring youth. “I just have a love for this community and the people in it, and I want to see others make good decisions,” Morris said. In addition to working on the coalition, Morris is actively pursuing a career as the CEO of a wholesale company. He wants to sell affordable clothes and other merchandise to the people of Madison. “That’s a dream of mine. I know if I believe in myself like I have to get this far, I can definitely get there.” “I’ve got to do better statistic.“ for myself, I didn’t want to be a
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