When asked about the moment she walked into S.C.A.N. for the first time, she says, “When I told them my situation, it’s like they didn’t look at me differently than they would look at someone else… They didn’t look at me no different because of my situation.”
Zaira Torres, program coordinator for Reimagine, describes, “ an environment of acceptance and understanding.” An environment that is important to help people break away from survivor mode for a little bit.
At S.C.A.N. Ingram was able to build a foundation for her basic needs. She got an apartment through a ‘Rent to Own’ program and began working a job with the program before transitioning to retail work where she was promoted to her current job of front end manager at a retail store.
“They helped me get on my feet and do better for my son. S.C.A.N. really helped me find housing, a job, they helped get my son daycare and helped him with places where his life can get better.” Ingram says.
Torres explains that Diavonnie’s case was transferred from S.C.A.N. to Reimagine. The reason for the switch was due to S.C.A.N.’s shift to working for reentry for those who were formerly incarcerated.
The Humboldt Park based Reimagine program, in partnership with the PRCC, is an extension of the violence prevention initiative. They work primarily with those who are impacted by gun violence offering monetary victim support, rental assistance and job support. At Reimagine, Diavonnie collaborated with a caseworker to get a three step goal plan completed. Torres describes this process as a demographic intake, a need based assessment followed by three steps that can be taken to help someone meet their goals. When transitioning to Reimagine Torres heard about her case and was impressed about how Ingram was able to build herself from the ground up. While her time at S.C.A.N. helped Diavonnie get back on her feet, she knew that more was coming in the horizon for her-both out of ambition and necessity.
Her child, Prince, was born several weeks prematurely which resulted in him being born immunocompromised which made his needs specifically challenging for Diavonnie. She later then found out that Prince was born on the Autism spectrum and would require even more support and medical attention.
Knowing this and working with the foundation she already had set up for herself, Ingram decided to enroll in Dominican University to continue her studies in Criminal Justice with ambitions of one day being a police officer.
“I like to help people. Just how people have helped me, I want to give that back in return… That’s what you call a career. Like I’m grateful for the job I have now, but I feel like moving up and forward becoming a police officer could be a lifelong career. Something I can stick with for the rest of my life until I can retire.” she says.
Ingram’s uncle is a retired police officer and she wanted to be one ever since she was a kid. She hopes that this career will set her up with the opportunities she needs to buy a home and provide for her son even in the future after retirement. For Diavonnie, this is a matter of legacy. Of choosing the life she wants to live.
She says, “The pay will unlock more for me, getting a better house, putting my son in a way better daycare, moving to a really good neighborhood. I feel like it can open up a lot more for me and my life and it would give my son something to fall back on when he gets older..”
While Diavonnie finishes the interview, Prince can be heard playing with the staff in front of the Reimagine office.
When asked about the way she feels about coming to Reimagine she says, “It feels really good… Like it makes you just feel like it’s another place that you can call home and it makes you feel like they’re family to you.”
When Torres was asked about Diavonnie’s success, she replied, “We’re very proud of her… She can always come back here, she knows that this is her spot.” When Diavonnie started, she was shy and timid. She admits that she struggled with telling people about her situation. Through trust and time, she allowed herself to seek and accept the help she needed.
As the interview comes to a close, Diavonnie adds, “I’m nowhere near the situation that I was when I first started. Like I’m far from that now. Looking back at the situation, I don’t regret that situation, because it got me where I am today.”