From the Bar Exam to Behind Bars: George Looks to Make a Fresh Start

Meet George

George is one of the most authentic individuals you’ll ever meet. He’s earnest, witty, and has a remarkable ability to make people laugh. An only child born and raised in Washington, DC, George enjoyed a calm and traditional upbringing. Academically, he excelled, earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland before pursuing a law degree at Georgetown. However, poor decisions in his twenties led him down a dark path.

George’s Journey

After earning his graduate degree, George focused on making money. Disillusioned by the pursuit of wealth, he turned to white-collar crime instead of honest work. As George bluntly put it, “I was a criminal. I was a white-collar criminal for 25 years.” Eventually, his criminal activities caught up with him, leading to charges of embezzlement, bank fraud, and wire fraud. Reflecting on his actions, George said, “I went to prison. I stole a lot of money. If you do good things or bad things, it catches up to you. I didn’t know that. I just enjoyed the money.”

Prison left George scarred. “I’ve seen people killed, I’ve seen people raped, and I’ve been in riots, but I’ve survived it,” he recalled. Even now, George struggles with sleep and suffers from PTSD.

It has only been two months since George was released from prison after serving most of his 10-year sentence in Florida. It was while serving time in Southern California, he was unexpectedly released one day, without warning. Ready to turn his life around, George was suddenly struck by a health crisis with no support system in place. With little money and staying at an extended-stay hotel, he experienced a seizure followed by a stroke, landing him in the hospital for weeks. It was there that he was referred to Harbor Care Center.

How Harbor Helped George

Initially, George was apprehensive about coming to Harbor Care. “They told me about this place, and I was petrified,” he said. However, when Zeke, Harbor’s driver, came to pick him up, he helped calm George’s fears. “You guys have saved my life. Being here has been a blessing. It’s the best thing to happen to me in 10 years. The people care.”

Since arriving at Harbor, George has been a model resident, diligently attending all his medical appointments and working closely with case managers to access his benefits. Reflecting on his life and the choices that led him to Harbor, George admitted, “You learn the hard way. I had a nice little run, but reality set in, and I’m done. So now I’m here at Harbor. If it wasn’t for Harbor, I’d probably be dead.”

George’s story is not the cliché often associated with homelessness. It’s a unique narrative that underscores how quickly life can change. Now, as Harbor helps him connect to permanent housing and employment, George is eager to start the next chapter of his life, embracing a future of independence and self-sufficiency.