SAINT SABINA-TIMES | Page 12

I’m 23 years old and grew up on 79th & Laflin with my mom, my brother and my sister. I attended Cook Elementary School. My father was around but he was inconsistent and wasn’t really there for us a lot. We lived with my grandfather who wasn’t extremely engaged in our lives but he gave us a place to stay. Because of my dad’s absence, I had to grow up fast to help with raising my siblings. I always had odd jobs allowing me to help support my family. I worked at Walgreens, The Board of Elections, Ceasefire, Union Pacific and O’Hare Airport. I was active in after-school programs early in life and met Fr Pfleger during one of the After School Matters activities in the ARK. This was the beginning of a long relationship where he would stand by me like a parent and even help me get jobs when my family needed money. He has been a real blessing and always encouraged me.

Growing up was fine, but I found myself attracting a bad group of people. I wasn’t in a gang but a lot of my friends were and they were always getting into trouble. Because of this, my mom moved us to the suburbs so I’d be safer. We ended up moving into a housing complex in Carpentersville, IL. I attended Dundee Crown High. This was the beginning of a series of high school changes & moves for me over the next couple years. The housing complex had some of the same bad elements and influences as Chicago and I ended up getting kicked out of Dundee Crown. My dad got involved for a time and moved me back to Chicago to live with my grandfather and I attended Winnie Mandela. I got involved with the wrong crowd and was expelled. This was not the end. I then went to Charles Houston where gang activity and getting into fights remained an element. Believe it or not, I was kicked out of school again. I never returned to high school but did not successfully

Christian Austin - My Story

get my GED.

My life changed when I encountered a mentor in the PeaceMaker program (Patrick) who grew up on the same block as me. He spent some time in prison and dedicated himself to non-violence afterwards.I would see him in the neighborhood telling people about positive community resources, like St. Sabina and places to get job help or GED training. I was fascinated and inspired at how he turned his life around. Then a partner of his, who was also a PeaceMaker (Brandon), saw me and asked me to join. I liked that the PeaceMakers gave me the ability to do something positive like Patrick and make a real change in the neighborhood.

In addition to community outreach, I also liked the basketball component of Peacemakers with the city-wide Peace League and tournament. To me, basketball has always been a major component of gaining notoriety in the neighborhood.

If you’re a good basketball player, people know you and respect you. Playing together is also good for peace. If you know someone and play on the same team in the gym, when you see them on the street, you’re less likely to get into quarrels. Because of the Peace League, I’ve even seen members from rival gangs play on the same team, just to have the chance to play. There have been many positive outcomes since I became active with the PeaceMakers. I’m happy to say that I’m now working for the M&M Mars Company in Burr Ridge, IL. I take the positive skills I’ve learned as a Peacemaker everywhere I go. I’m very hopeful for my future after being a part of this program.

I grew up mostly on 79th & Laflin, not far from St. Sabina. I moved here with my family at the age of 3. I enjoyed growing up; both of my parents were there and there was a sense of peace in my life. I attended Cook Elementary. My friends and I spent a lot of time playing basketball and growing up together. We didn’t realize we were living in fractured gang territories until we grew a older. For most kids, it was about the 8th grade when they discovered that our neighborhood wasn’t as innocent as we thought; for me it was in 6th grade when I began to be approached by gangs. There were really no gang

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