Mori takes a break in front of the St. Vincent de Paul Family Resource Center in Pittsburg.
Mori spent 30 years in prison until his conviction was vacated on appeal in 2023. After spending so long behind bars, the world felt like an entirely different place. Mori was free, but he carried the heavy weight of those lost years, and the challenge of starting over from scratch.
“When my conviction was vacated I was just released,” Mori said. “Since it was vacated, I had no parole, no probation. I was free but just on my own.”
To leave the past behind and build a new life, Mori moved from his hometown of Los Angeles to the Bay Area to be close to his family. But the outside world had changed completely while he was away. Things that most people take for granted today, like smartphones, personal computers, email, and the internet, were totally new to him.
“It’s just all so different now,” Mori said. “I’m still trying to adjust and wrap my head around technology, but everything is so different. I’m not use to having all these passwords or depending so much on a phone. Shortly after I got out, I lost my phone and it was like losing my entire life. You use to be able to look people up, but I lost contacts I suppose I’ll never get back – it’s just a lot to get used to all at once.”
While getting settled in his new home, he often shopped at the St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County (SVdP) thrift store in Pittsburg. He went there looking for affordable clothes, furniture, and appliances. While talking with the staff one day, someone told him about the Workforce Development Program at SVdP and suggested he apply.
SVdP’s Workforce Development program is a paid, six-month program designed to give people facing barriers to employment, such as a history of incarceration, the skills they need to find and keep steady jobs. Participants work part-time at an SVdP thrift store, attend weekly classes taught by community mentors, and receive one-on-one mentorship to build a strong foundation for the future.
Mori joined the program and began learning how to navigate the modern job market.
“The classes I’m taking here in the workforce program are a great help,” Mori said. “We learn about building resumes, using AI, how to do interviews. But also how to use the internet and email. The material has really been a big help for me, personally.”
Along with his work at SVdP, Mori works part-time as an in-home care provider for adults with developmental disabilities. It is demanding work, but he finds it deeply meaningful.
Even while working hard, the high cost of living has been a heavy burden. Everyday expenses like food, housing, and insurance add up quickly.
“Everything is just so much more expensive these days, and what use to be a really good wage just doesn’t cover it anymore,” Mori said. “Between the hours I get as part of the workforce program and at my job doing in-home care, I am working 51-hours per week. It just feels like there is a hump I just can’t get over to a place where I’m financially stable.”
Despite the financial stress, Mori keeps moving forward. SVdP has provided him with practical job tools, but it has also given him something even more valuable for his future.
“The biggest thing the SVdP program is teaching me is the value of hope. Being in this program really makes me think that there is hope that I will find something better, that there is hope that I can do more.”
Once he finishes the workforce program, Mori said he is considering continuing his education at Los Medanos Community College.
“I’ve always loved learning, and I’d like to take more classes,” Mori said. “I remember reading a piece by a successful lawyer who said the greatest part of his job was getting paid to learn. That motivated me to complete a paralegal studies certificate. I want to build on that, further my education, and put my training to good use.”
Mori said he is grateful to have found the program, and grateful for the connections and friendships he is making.
“By coming to SVdP I’ve been able to meet a lot of genuinely good people,” Mori said. “It’s inspiring. And because of them, I have hope for my future.”
