RACINE — Behind the green doors on Seventh Street in Racine, lives are being transformed through the work of Racine Kenosha Vocational Ministry.
Watch: Racine organization celebrates participants' commitment to change
The organization aims to support people as they work to better themselves and, as a result, their community. This week, 14 participants are being recognized for their dedication to improvement during a special ceremony.
"Being here has helped me move forward in a positive manner," said Kenney Moss, who has been involved with the organization for five years.
For Moss, RKVM and the staff members are like a second family to him.
"It's very big. It's very big to me. It means a lot to me," Moss said.
On Thursday, Moss will receive the Focus Award for staying committed to personal progress.
Keith McCarthy is also participating in Thursday's recognition ceremony. He credits the program with saving his life.
"I'd still be living on the street, or dead. I would've been dead, because I was close," McCarthy said.
McCarthy credits an RKVM employee, Debra Barkley, for helping him along the way. She helped him get sober and find housing.
"So she pushed me to get sober," McCarthy said. "She wants me to do more."
And he believes continuing to progress is possible with the support of RKVM.
RKVM focuses on two main programs. The Jobs program helps people establish consistent employment, while the Second Chance program assists people reentering society after incarceration.
"The main thing is trust. You can trust people down here," said Moss, who's able to be open and transparent with staff, many of whom are previous RKVM participants themselves.
More than 200 people are engaged with RKVM every year. During the organization's 22 years of service, they have placed about 5,500 people in jobs.
"We're serious about helping people," said Markus Watts, RKVM executive director.
Beyond their own offerings, Watts and his staff work to connect people with other community resources.
"We definitely consider ourself the connector," Watts said.
The impact of this work will be on display Thursday.
"We keep taking steps forward," McCarthy said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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