Gregory: “I have to reinvent myself”

Gregory has overcome a lot to be where he is today. Now he’s focused on leveraging his experience to build a stable future for himself and his family.

Ever since childhood, one word has defined how Gregory interacts with others and presents himself to the world: respect. 

“I was always respectful of everybody,” he says. “Always. I did it because it was what I learned in the home: ‘Be respectful. Nobody owes you nothing. If someone does something for you, [you say] thank you.’” 

From the moment you meet him and are greeted by his warm smile, you understand how deeply this sense of respect is instilled. But that doesn’t mean Gregory hasn’t overcome his share of trials to be where he is today. 

Gregory was born in Florida but spent most of his formative years living in Queens with his mother. She worked hard to provide for them on a single income, pulling 12-hour shifts to keep up with expenses. 

Growing up Haitian, Gregory felt like his identity made him different than his peers. 

“English is my second language; Creole is my first language,” he explains. “So you have to learn something different, you know? You have one language at school and another language at home. I was going through the phase of fitting in with other people, because they don’t even know what a Haitian is.” 

At an early age, Gregory was getting into trouble: fighting with neighborhood kids and occasionally stealing from them. His mom reacted by sending him back down to Florida to live with his father.  

This period didn’t last long. When he was 11, Gregory joined a gang. His behavior wasn’t tolerated by his father, whose main form of discipline was physical abuse. Fearing for Gregory’s safety, his mother quickly had him move back to New York. 

Back in Queens, it bothered Gregory that he couldn’t afford new clothes and shoes each school year like his friends and classmates. Although he was grateful to have a comfortable place to live with his mom, he yearned to be able to make money of his own. 

“It's frustrating because throughout my whole junior high school, throughout my whole elementary, I'm watching other kids getting new sneakers, getting new clothes,” he recalls. “So you feel some type of way because you got friends going: ‘Oh yeah, I'm about to go get these new sneakers. I'm about to get the Super Nintendo. I'm about to get the Sega.’ And I’m like, ‘Damn bro, I can't. I can't get that.’” 

When he was 14, a neighbor in his apartment building approached Gregory to ask if he’d ever considered selling drugs. Gregory accepted the offer, and after that, things would never be the same. 

“My life changed dramatically—instantly,” he says. 

Suddenly he was able to independently purchase all the things he’d wanted. He could buy gifts for his girlfriend, front restaurant bills for his friends, and enjoy all the luxuries that were once so far out of reach. It didn’t take long for Gregory to become accustomed to the perks of the lifestyle. 

For the next several years, Gregory was involved in a variety of criminal activities, doing whatever he could to make a life for himself and his family. Even with stints separated from this world he came to know, like the period when he moved back to Florida to work in construction and installing hurricane shutters, his wide network of acquaintances always drew him back in. 

2006 was when Gregory’s life took a turn for the worse. In two separate instances months apart, his cousin and close friend were murdered. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt, and these losses drove him to start using substances. 

“I feel like it’s my fault,” he says. “That’s when my life went all the way down.” 

From then on, Gregory was constantly on the move, living in many different cities across the country and looking for ways to sustain himself. He served time for fraud, possession, and violating parole in multiple facilities across the U.S., and was eventually incarcerated in Washington State. Finally, with a 2022 release date looming in front of him, he decided it was time to make a change in his life for good. 

“I came here and I told myself, even in prison: ‘I have to reinvent myself,’” he says. “And this is where we get to now. I’m empowered. You know, it's so much of a blessing to come somewhere where people want you to win.” 

Gregory started as a manufacturing specialist at Pallet earlier this year, enrolling in the first class of our Career Launch PAD. When he graduates from the program and moves on, he plans to move to Seattle, get a union job, and save up to buy a house. His vision for his future is clear, and he’s focused on making it a reality. 

“I wanna be able to be happy with life,” he says. “I wake up in the morning, I got a purpose. And right now, it feels like a purpose because this job doesn't only help me, it helps my family too.” 

By giving his all and cultivating community with his cohort, it took Gregory no time to find his place at Pallet. Beyond working on the manufacturing floor, he’s also joined the deployment crew and helped assemble shelters on multiple village sites. We are all grateful that he landed here on our team. 

Riffing on Jay-Z, Gregory quips: “You are who you are when you got there. This place opened doors for me, and I’m blessed to be here.” 

Meet the other three featured participants in Pallet’s Career Launch PAD and read their stories.