A gracious and thoughtful person, John genuinely hopes to make the world around him better. And his Aeon home has given him the opportunity to do just that.
John first connected with Aeon in 2004, at the age of 18. Life to that point had been difficult, to say the least. On the south side of Chicago, his parents struggled to provide for their six children. Eventually, John moved with his mother and siblings to the Twin Cities.
While their new location provided a sense of safety, it also presented new challenges. John, only six years old at the time, became all too familiar with the ups and downs of drug use and addiction.
John found it difficult not to be caught up in this atmosphere. At the age of eight, he became involved with gangs and hustlers in his neighborhood.
As he grew up, John’s life became ever more volatile. His family lost their housing repeatedly through John’s teenage years. Throughout this time, John was involved in gang life. And when he was 17, a court convicted him of buying and selling weapons.
That conviction changed everything. Given his age, the judge gave John an opportunity to turn things around. John began volunteering at a local organization and set out to look for his first real job. And while out walking, he wandered into a youth drop-in center that had a connection to Aeon.
With help from the drop-in center, John began working to get an apartment at one of Aeon’s youth properties. And just a few months later, he had the keys to his own home. After many years of instability, this home provided the first foundation from which he could build a new life.
The road since getting that first apartment 20 years ago has been bumpy, to say the least. John has become a father, gone through a divorce, and has experienced job loss. But throughout the last two decades, he has known that Aeon would be by his side.
After he moved out of his apartment in the youth building, John moved into another affordable Aeon apartment in the neighborhood. Almost 20 years since receiving that first set of keys, John still lives in an Aeon apartment. With the stability and affordability of his own home, he has had the opportunity to grow beyond the atmosphere he grew up within. And he has had the opportunity to share his story with other members of his community. In the last few years, he has even created his own brand, called Personal Evolution – a testament to the journey he has been on since he turned 18.
Through all the years he has lived at Aeon, John has seen the commitment of site staff and developed strong relationships with his neighbors – he has experienced the things that make a house a home. Since he moved into the youth building almost 20 years ago, John has known that the staff on site will advocate for his well-being. And with that external support, he has had the opportunity to advocate for himself, too.
John first connected with Aeon in 2004, at the age of 18. Life to that point had been difficult, to say the least. His parents struggled to provide for their six children, and they lost their home repeatedly.
As some of his family members dealt with addiction, John turned to the streets at a young age. By the time he was 8, he was involved with gangs in his neighborhood. Eventually, this led to a court conviction for John at age 17.
That conviction changed everything. But given his age, the judge gave John a chance to turn things around. And he made the most of it.
He learned about an Aeon youth property. He began volunteering in his community. And he shared his story with other youth. He found his first stable home there almost 20 years ago, and he’s made Aeon his home ever since.
Almost 20 years since receiving that first set of keys, John still lives in an Aeon apartment. With the stability of his affordable home, John had the opportunity to grow beyond the environment he grew up in. In the last few years, he has even created his own brand, called Personal Evolution – a testament to the journey he has been on since he turned 18.
He has seen the commitment of site staff and developed strong relationships with his neighbors – he has experienced the things that make a house a home. And each day, thanks to your support, he is committed to making the world around him better.
