Leonard did not have a traditional upbringing. During his early developmental years, he experienced physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of the people that should have protected him, which set him on a path of instability. “My story is from hurt,” says Leonard. “I was abused and beaten as a child. There was a lot of pain. I was a good kid. I didn’t understand why people beat me. So that is where my pain came from, and I wasn’t going to lay down and take the hurt anymore, so I would fight.”
As an adult, Leonard moved to Washington, DC, where a friend introduced him to the drug trade. “I became a street god — selling drugs, shooting guns, and fighting. I used to own fast cars and motorcycles, but it was dirty money,” says Leonard.
At the peak of Leonard’s drug business, he was happy with his life. The power he had made him feel in control—something he didn’t feel in his youth.
Until the first tragedy of many struck.
One afternoon, Leonard was in a drug house in Southeast DC with his two bodyguards and some friends when he decided to head out alone to pick up lunch, against the advice of his bodyguards. When Leonard returned to the house shortly after, the house was surrounded by the police. While Leonard was out, a drive-by shooting occurred, targeting Leonard, but ultimately killing five people.
After the shooting, Leonard’s health rapidly declined, leading him to experience regular strokes, which the doctors believed were caused by high blood pressure and traumatic brain injuries he experienced from the abuse in his youth. Unable to sustain good health, Leonard’s life started to fall apart. He couldn’t keep a stable home which lead him to sleeping wherever he could find in Anacostia. Four years ago, while at a hospital getting treatment for a stroke, Leonard received word that his mother had died. Despite the abuse he received as a child, Leonard has always loved his mother and wanted to make her happy. “I felt like I let her down” he said. “When my mom died, it felt like I lost a limb. A piece of me was missing, sending me into a deep depression.”
In one of Leonard’s darkest moments, hope found him. “One day, I was standing next to the train tracks, and I was going to jump in front of the train. A woman stopped me and asked me if I was okay. I said I was hungry, so she gave me two dollars, and I got some fries,” says Leonard. “I felt a glimpse of hope, so I contacted a friend and asked if they could help me.”
That friend connected Leonard to Community of Hope.
“I met Miss Sophie and Miss Kriston. They felt like family because they showed they cared about me,” says Leonard. He met with the team regularly, including quick texts to check in, and began to build trust and make progress.
In March, Leonard moved into his apartment. He is now creating a home that feels safe and inviting. “Now that I have a home, I am going to spend time with my daughter again. I am going to cook my family dinner. I want us to feel like the family I never had,” says Leonard.
Leonard’s health is also back on track. “I was 240 pounds and now am 170. I want to be able to run. I want to be able to drive again. I want to work on helping people. I want to buy a house someday. I want to be better. I changed — I am not the person I used to be.” says Leonard. Now he’s the one looking for people on the streets in need of a few bucks or a kind greeting.
Leonard says he would not be here if not for Community of Hope. “Every morning, I wake up and say thank you to God. I wish I could hug everyone at Community of Hope that helped me. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.“
