Thirty days ago Roosevelt Holliday arrived at Brandon Hall in DOC prison garb. He had been in prison for the past 10 months. This was Mr. Holliday’s second time in prison. At the age of 52, Mr. Holliday was in trouble for his use of drugs. “I’m too old to do something this silly”.

“I went from being a success to a failure”. Now, Mr. Holliday wants his life to be different. He worked in a cleaner’s for a number of years as a Dry Cleaning Technician. He is proud of this skill and wants to return to it. However, he did not have clothing to interview in. He asked Mark Ellison, his case manager, if he knew where he could get a suit to interview in and wear to church.

Unknown to Mr. Holliday, staff at Brandon Hall had a solution for his dilemma. With staff and volunteer support, Brandon’s Closet has been stocked with clothing for men to wear for interviews and other important occasions.  Two members from the Westside Missionary Baptist Church recently brought in newly ironed garments, starched shirts and ties with some dress pants, suits and a couple pair of shoes.

Mark Ellison took Mr. Holliday to Brandon’s Closet. Mr. Holliday was allowed to choose a newly ironed shirt, a double- breasted dark grey suit, and another pair of slacks. He now works at Church’s Chicken and hopes to obtain new employment in his field of expertise. Mr. Holliday, while wearing his new suit, smiled and said, “I feel like a million bucks.”  “My grandchildren know Paw Paw did wrong. I want my grandchildren to go to college. I don’t want their life to be like mine.” 

Mr. Holliday plans to stay in a program and attend church so he doesn’t have to repeat the same process in front of his grandchildren. “This is an on-going process. If I go back, there’s no choice.  I’ll be dead.  It’s like putting a rope around my neck and it will be over”.  Mr. Holliday wants his life in the community to mean something now. He said, “I want to give back this time.”