Invest in a Life of Usefulness: Lee McD's Transition Home

From Prison to a Halfway House to a Master's Degree and Beyond

UPDATE 08-03-2026:

Big Steps Forward. A Few More Steps and Donations Needed.

I have good news to share. Since this campaign began, your belief in me — plus more than $2,000 of my own wages reinvested along the way — has already turned into real results:

--I'm now a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor, ready to teach others how to support someone in crisis.

--I completed and fully paid for my AI Boot Camp, modernizing my skills for today's workforce.

--Pacific School of Religion awarded me an $1,860 housing scholarship.

--Secured $500 housing deposit scholarship.

--I enrolled in a summer course and registered full-time for the fall. so my seminary path is on track.

--I've paid my $300 monthly restitution on time as required.

Even between paychecks, I'm staying rooted in community. I continue to volunteer at my church, in local theater, and on campus — coordinating weekly movie nights in the dorm and organizing the annual open mic talent show that welcomes incoming and returning students. Usefulness isn't something I'm waiting on; it's how I live now.

I'm still taking active steps every day. My temp job at the GTU Library has come to an end as expected. I'm actively applying for part-time work with local nonprofits and for student jobs on campus for the fall term. I'm confident the right fit is coming.

That's also why the housing bridge still matters. Your support is what keeps me stably housed while I finish this climb. Thank you for walking this road with me. Every step forward has your fingerprints on it.

With gratitude and thanks, Lee McD

My Story

I share my journey of transformation and ask for your support as I navigate a critical turning point in my life. On March 20, 2026, I was granted early release from federal prison due to a commitment to rehabilitation, good behavior, and consistent enrollment in educational programming. Since my release, I have been focused on one goal: transitioning from the shadows of my past into a life of service, usefulness, reputation, and community engagement.

For the last several years, I have worked hard to prove my dedication to change. I successfully completed, without any issues or setbacks, 5 years of RI State probation and 2.5 years of federal pre-trial supervision. Today, I am clean, focused, and eager to invest in a future that allows me to give back.

Where I Am Now

UPDATE 08-03-2026 The part-time temp job ended 06-30-2026.

UPDATE 08-02-2026 I'm actively seeking a campus job for the fall.

I am currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area and working 19 hours a week at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) Library. While this temporary part-time work covers my basic needs like food and toiletries, it isn't enough to cover the significant "bridge costs" required to establish a stable household and complete professional training for me to become self-sufficient.

The Goal: A Foundation for the Future

I am seeking funds to cover the specific costs of my first few months of independence until I return to seminary this fall. This includes training to be a certified Mental Health 1st Aid trainer and to develop current skills in the new world of AI and business. These funds are not just for "bills"—they are an investment in me and in my path forward to reclaim who I am by becoming independent and self-sufficient again.

UPDATE - Completed AI Bootcamp. Certificate awarded 06-09-2026.

UDPATE - Completed MHFA Instructor Training. Certificate 07-23-2026.

The funds will be used for:

Housing Stability: $6,160

$500 security deposit

UPDATE - Scholarship secured. Paid $500. 06-30-2026.

$5760 which is monthly rent ($1,440) from May 2026 to August 2026.

UPDATE - Scholarship secured. Paid $1860. 06-30-2026

To ensure I have a stable place to live while I prepare to resume seminary classes at Pacific School of Religion. Right now, I am in a single room in a shared suite with UC Berkeley grad students, temporarily. I have not yet paid the deposit or any rent. The staff believe in me and are giving me time to raise this money for rent.

Professional Certification: $2,300 + tax $236 = $2536

$2,400 Mental Health First Aid certification class in June 2026

UPDATE: Course Paid & Completed. Certificate Attached. 08-03-2026

UPDATE: Cost $2,300 + tax $236 = $2536. Paid in full 06-30-2026.

UPDATE: I qualified for a $100 discount.

To complete an intensive course to become a Certified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Trainer, allowing me to help others navigating their own recoveries. I may qualify for a $200 discount for early registration. Last year, I completed the MHFA class and now I want to become a certified trainer.

Technical AI Certification Skills: $760

To cover the remaining balance of a 6-week professional AI Boot Camp I started May 1st to modernize my skill set. I paid the initial $380 from my 1st full paycheck since release from the halfway house. I owe the balance of $760.

UPDATE: Paid in full. 07-12-2026.

UPDATE: Certificate Awarded 06-09-2026

Legal Responsibility: $600

To clear the remaining balance of my court costs.

Reliable Transportation:

$256 for a $16 weekly Veo scooter rental pass to get me to & fro.

$500 for Uber or Lyft rides when needed for probation, drug tests, therapy, medical appointments, church, and such.

Why This Matters

The transition from incarceration to a life of "usefulness and reputation," a phrase borrowed from the Brown University charter, is a steep climb, but I have already begun the ascent. By supporting this campaign, you aren't just helping someone pay rent; you are helping a student, a minimum wage temp worker, a formerly incarcerated person, a person in recovery from the hell of crystal meth, a future mental health advocate, a brother in faith, AND A FRIEND, reclaim his place in society.

Let's Be Partners!

I am working part-time and investing in myself. I also have $300 monthly restitution to pay, which I will do so from my wages. I used most of my 1st full paycheck to begin the AI Boot Camp, an investment in me and my workforce readiness. I am committed to a successful 3 years of Supervised Release and to the long-term work of personal and professional growth. Any contribution, no matter the size, is a vote of confidence in the person I am today and in the person I am becoming. It is an investment in my as a person and in my future, I have no retirement or savings. I own no property - not even a car. I will receive no inheritance. I am fully responsible for me and my future. I am asking you to help me, to secure my future, to join with me in love, friendship, faith, and compassion.

UPDATE: I've completed successfully 3 months of Supervised Release. Time remaining: 2 years and 9 months

Thank you for believing in me, for believing in 2nd chances, for giving me a 2nd chance, and for being a part of my journey home. This is for me, for sure, but I am dedicating this to my late mama, Jo-Ann McDaniel, sometimes known as Mother-Ann, because I love her, miss her, and want to make her proud in new ways. I WAS RELEASED FROM FEDERAL CUSTODY LAST WEEK ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY MAMA'S 84TH BIRTHDAY. Mama is looking out for me. Will you do the same?

Thank you so much from the bottom of my newly freed heart, mind, and body. My soul and spirit have always been free, even while in prison. Hallelujah. Peace, love, and kindness to you. Lee McD