Movin' on Up

• Author: Kevin Davis
• Pages: 48-49

Inside a loft b uilding just west of Chicago’s downtown, a group of

men and women a re gathered in a circl e, clapping ha nds, stomping

their feet and s inging the them e song to The Jef ersons television

show.

“Well, we’re movin’ on up,” they shout. “Movi n’ on up!”

The high-energy singalong sounds like a rollicking jubilee church

service as th e men and women we lcome their pee rs into the circle

with cheers an d high fi ves. The gathering, known as Mornin g

Motivation, ta kes place on a fall morning at Ca ra Chicago , a non-

profi t that provides job readiness

training to form erly incarcerated

people, and perhaps most impor-

tant, helps build their confi dence.

“The notion of incarceration

goes far beyond th e experience

itself. It beco mes part of how you

see yourself,” says Maria Kim,

president and CEO o f Cara

Chicago . “We want people to have

an understand ing of what they c an

be. The jobs ski lls part is eq ually

important to t he self-worth pa rt

of it.”

Among those in t he crowd is

Regina Brown. Five yea rs clean

of drugs and al cohol, Brown has

a full-time job and hope. “Th ese

motivations in th e morning get yo u

going,” she says. Participants share

stories and celebrate milestones

such as getting their fi rst in terview or landi ng a job.

Coaches help guide people recently released from prison through

employment skills training as well as life coaching. “You have to be

personally stable,” says Nora Vail, manager of coaching and reten-

tion. “Health, housing an d child care are important. Those can jeop -

ardize people’s abilit y to get a job.”

And when they’re ready to head out for jo b interviews, C ara has an

extensive wardrobe of donated clothing that participants can borrow.

Before she came to Cara, Brown n ever had a real job . “Alcohol and

Movin’ on Up

A Chicago nonprofit helps formerly incarcerated people find work and self-worth

At Cara Chicago, do nated clothing is sor ted by size and ready for par ticipants to borrow for jo b

interviews.

48

|| ABA JOURNAL MAY 2019

PHOTOS BY KEVIN DAVIS