Timothy Simms

A Second Chance: Honoring My Son's Memory My life was a relentless cycle of darkness. For decades, I was in and out of prison, a ghost on the streets battling a crippling drug addiction. The world saw a statistic; I felt like a failure. The lowest point—the moment that shattered me and ultimately sparked my change—was losing my son to cancer before he was six. The grief was unbearable, leading me to give up entirely. I lost my marriage, my wife, and my remaining children. I spent years simply trying to survive the day, fighting the constant pull back toward old habits and the cold comfort of a prison cell. The struggle to stay clean and free has been the hardest fight of my life. But I am finally winning. I recently got clean and, as an act of will and love for the child I lost, I enrolled in college. I am dedicated to building a stable, purposeful life—a life worthy of his memory. That journey just hit a devastating roadblock: I lost my job because the company opted to hire inmates for cheaper labor. This systemic barrier threatens to derail my entire effort. Without this income, I cannot sustain the life I've worked so hard to build. I am not asking for a rescue from my past; I am asking for a hand up to fund my future. Your donation will ensure I can pay for tuition and books, and critically, help cover my monthly bills (like rent and utilities). This support is essential to maintain my stability, keep me focused on college, and prevent me from slipping back into homelessness. Please help me turn decades of struggle into a success story and prove that a second chance is possible.