DEUCE Community Update: July 2023
When we were working on securing housing for the men in our program, our primary objective was that the major benefit would be in the creation of a positive and secure home environment free of drug use and violence.
We are now able to provide this at the Mar Vista house. This environment is important and certainly a prerequisite for our work. However, we believe that the two primary benefits of housing are accountability and behavior modeling.
Accountability and feedback systems have always been an integral part of our program. Living with one another allows us to take those things to the next level. In a house full of men who are giving their best effort to grow and build the best life possible for themselves, there is nowhere to hide. Because we all feel the weight of the goals we are pursuing and what is at stake if we don’t make it, a feeling of solidarity exists that makes it easier to stay on top of one another.
Before we had the opportunity to model things like sleep schedules, nutrition, morning and evening routines, and study habits, trying to express the importance of these things before we had housing felt like talking to a brick wall. Once we could model these things in real-time, the game changed. They suddenly became tangible and adherence produced results and transformation.
One example of this is a daily routine checklist we all have above our beds. This practice is aligned with our focus on process orientation. The idea is that if we are able to be relentless about a few simple practices every day, we can close the gap between where we are now and our goals. Utilizing a checklist like this is a suggestion I had made many times, however, until the guys saw my checklist hanging up, none of them gave it a try. One of the residents says that for him this practice, “holds me accountable to tasks that help me start my day in the most productive way.”
We have observed that success is very difficult to achieve if you have not first seen someone with whom you identify realize it. Now, we are also observing that process, or the steps necessary for success, are very hard to implement if you have not seen it implemented by someone you respect. The most impactful part of DEUCE Community’s housing effort is the culture that we are able to create in the house.
Campbell Lillard
DEUCE Community Inc. Co-Founder
Tattoo Pop-Up Was a Massive Success!
Thank you to all who came out or sent financial support for our annual tattoo pop-up and fundraiser The fundraiser was a remarkable success. we surpassed our goal, but more importantly, we were able to give those in our program a remarkable experience. The overwhelming turnout motivated several of them to approach me after the event and express their gratitude, Many of them have never known what it is like for a group of people to be invested in their future.
+ VIEW PHOTO ALBUM
+ WATCH VIDEO RECAP
-
Every Thursday | Community Dinners at The Mar Vista House - Every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. – All are welcome. Contact campbell@deucegym.com
-
Every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. | Community Workout at DEUCE Gym @ 110 Lincoln Blvd
-
August 5th | Lift, Run, Hang Competition at Muscle Beach.
- Fundraiser Toolkit | Interested in helping with our housing efforts but unsure how to get involved? Chances are you have someone in your network who might be able to help. We would love to help provide you with resources to help you share the story of what we are doing. Check out some examples of what this can look like HERE.
The Amazon Prime packages that show up on the porch of the DEUCE Community House mean more to these guys than you can possibly imagine. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
DEUCE Community Incorporated is beyond proud to announce that as of July, 1st, we will have our first paid employee, Jose Bojorquez. We have worked hard to offer Jose a competitive salary for his role as well as full medical and psychiatric benefits.
Jose was our second program graduate. You can read about his work as an intern HERE. Jose will be coming on primarily in a case management and navigation role, which means we will be doing on-the-ground work with our interns and program participants. He also hopes to build out a youth program for DEUCE Community, something we have been excited about adding for a long time.
Jose’s bio is included below:
In July of 2021, Jose arrived at Amistad (Amity) from Prison, a re-entry program located in Los Angeles, California. That's where it all started for him. Jose had been introduced to DEUCE Community Inc and their coaches, where he began to see the world in a different light including himself. At DEUCE gym, Jose benefited from an amazing community and support system where he quickly learned about growth mindset. Jose soon started developing himself as a leader, entrepreneur, and mentor. While Interning at Deuce gym Jose was also working on his detailing business (CleanSlate Mobile Detailing) and CJL, an Americorps program that is designed to help those affected by the DJJ Justice system.
Since then Jose has been a part of multiple non-profit organizations, where he has continued his development as a leader and mentor. Formally Jose was working with RISE, a program within St Johns community health, where he had a caseload of 30-plus returning citizens. Jose has been able to solidify himself in the re-entry community where he uses his lived experience to connect with those who currently find themselves in the same place he once did. With his newfound experience and knowledge, Jose is seeking to change the stigma associated with those who have been justice-impacted one person at a time.