Client Stories

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Deandreas, a local businessman and former Moran Center client as a juvenile, returned for support with clearing his record. As a young person, Deandreas’ parents worked several jobs, and he says his time without supervision led to his “being introduced to a lifestyle” that got him into trouble.

At 15, Deandreas was caught with a gun and had Tom Verdun at the Moran Center as his defense attorney – who he says became a mentor to him.

With time, the Moran Center worked with Deandreas on his case and preventing future incidents, and years later when he returned for record remediation.

Deandreas now owns his own local business, DM Investments, which operates a construction company where he has become a mentor to other justice-involved young people in their lives and careers.

“We invest in our community, and people,” Deandreas says. “A lot of people, when they don’t have things to do, they get in trouble, so we like to mentor people” – as he does, himself, as a volunteer with Chicagoland Prison Outreach’s vocational program.

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D’Juana reached out to the Moran Center when she faced system-involvement and homelessness, which she was determined to resolve for her children. The Moran Center soon learned that D’Juana would bring an unwavering positivity into working through the challenges ahead, despite already facing some of her worst moments.

D’Juana, her two kids, and dog were living in their car. She says her motivation was to become something and to see her children succeed.

Today, D’Juana has come along way – navigating legal difficulties, repairing harms, and processing their emotional consequences with the support of her “super therapist” and case manager Coni Benitez.

She and her family are housed and, with the Moran Center’s holistic help, has been able to process struggles in multiple areas of life.

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Roz connected with the Moran Center as an expectant mother of her fourth child during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roz’s mother had just passed, and she had taken over her home’s lease and was now looking after her mom’s three foster children in addition to her own.

Roz’s Moran Center civil legal attorney, Megan McClung, supported her in the custody process, keeping her family of eight together and in their community.

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Maddie contacted the Moran Center when she was facing housing insecurity after losing both her parents. Her advocates supported her through the emancipation process, allowing her to be her head of household, which led to new opportunities like opening a bank account and being able to have housing voucher of her own for rental assistance.

Meet Maddie:

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Muhammed and his mother, Kania, first began working toward their goals alongside the Moran Center in 2022. Muhammed was a kind, bright high school freshman, who faced being pulled deep into the criminal legal system for a non-violent offense. Unable to afford an attorney, Kania called the Moran Center.

We soon discovered more under the surface of Muhammed’s case. His dream was to attend Evanston Township High School (ETHS). His IEP for his learning disability complicated his enrollment and caused him anxiety.

He began seeing his Moran Center mental health counselor bi-weekly while his Education Advocacy attorney built a case for his right to an appropriate learning environment. During this time, Kania faced challenges with an insurance claim, and was also supported by a Moran Center attorney.

It has been almost four years since Muhammed began working alongside the Moran Center, during which time he made deliberate choices to cut ties with negative influences and re-engage in school. His case was resolved and today, at 18 years of age, Muhammed is a beloved camp counselor who got to attend and graduate from ETHS!

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