Steven’s Story

“I’ve come a loooong way,” Steven professed in elongated enunciation.

When asked to recount his story, the 39-year-old hot dog enthusiast and local friendly face began with the details of the imprisoned, institutionalized, and dangerous 17-year-old version of himself.

Still a minor at the time, Steven battled with explosive anger (as he describes), an absence of parental guidance, and an environment fraught with gang violence. And as with all stories that do a 180°, there is a turning point. When Steven’s brother was fatally shot in an altercation over a pair of sunglasses, a marked deviation in direction occurred.

“I couldn’t deal with it emotionally,” Steven recalled. “I had so much anger that I punched a wall so hard my knuckles bled. I didn’t realize at the time that I had broken my hand. But at his funeral, I promised I’d change my life for him. And I’ve been keeping myself out of trouble ever since.”

But his newfound path was not a straight one, nor was his slate clean. Steven had already unleashed years of anger in the form of assaults…hundreds of them. Emotions would flush through him in acts of aggression and consequently he was restrained by shackles, handcuffs, and security for nearly two decades.

Heavy sedation and a 5:1 staff to patient ratio set the scene for half of Steven’s life. Transferring from a correctional facility to a mental health treatment center upon his 18th birthday, Steven was finally able to gain access to psychiatric help and an opportunity to release some of the mental trauma that had for so long restrained him.

Here, with the support of mental health officials, he worked tirelessly to manage his anger and explosive episodes. With a tarnished heart that always drew towards kindness, Steven’s focus began shifting to meet a more hopeful and gentler future.

Always motivated by the prospect of independence, Steven is finally basking in the benefits of his hard work. He now has his own house and works through his volatility through pet therapy and his desire to inspire young kids with troubled lives.

And with the collaborative efforts of him and the Futures team, the opportunity for Steven to focus on personal development and the pursuit of his aspirations has never been more attainable. Steven is part of a program that matches consumers with micro-businesses that are developed based on the interests and passions of the individuals. The custom attention that Futures offers Steven and the other individuals that we work with allows each individual to excel in their own way.

There is no singular mold for success. So rather than forcing someone into a misfit model thereof, Futures teaches its consumers the skills and independence they need to succeed in the way they define it.

For Steven, this is through serving hot dogs to his community, and he has used his love for food to create a special sauce that keeps people coming back to the hot dog stand each week. Yet  with all the enthusiasm he has for this business endeavor, at the end of the day it is all an outlet for his desire to connect with the community, meet new people, and share his story.  

Connecting with the people around him is the common denominator in all that Steven does, and those who are closest to him are all well-familiar with the number of people who recognize and stop to say hi to him around town.

If he’s not at the hot dog cart or in town, Steven is likely volunteering at the Amazing Grace Food Pantry, where he’s been spending his time for the past six years.

“They treat me like family there, like a brother and a son. They calm me down, they care about me, they show me the right path.”

As his past becomes a more distant reality, Steven’s values and determination become more deeply rooted in his character.

At a time when his rage was projected into violence, Steven felt like he had no options. But the people who have entered his life since have shown him that there is another way to live, and now he’s ready to give that back to the community he came from.

One of his taglines is, “Drop the gun, grab a hot dog and a bun”; a few words that somehow manage to simplify Steven’s onerous journey. They embody Steven’s hopeful yet pointed message that there is always another path than one made up of violence and anger.

It’s all about finding the people who help you redirect your life, and passing that help onto the next.