John Whitlow ~ A Prodigal Son Finds Himself and Thrives on Helping Others

You have to smile when you see John Whitlow. His smile, his walk, the sparkle in his eye—all exude good energy.

It wasn’t always so.

“I’ve been in so many county jails I can’t count them all,” said Mr. Whitlow, 54. “I’ve been to prison… I’ve got a record from here to the River Jordan.”

Growing up in Boston, his family had big dreams for him.

“I was supposed to be a doctor. My grandmother got me into one of the best high schools, Brighton High School. I rejected everything.”

He was drawn to what he now calls the “combat zone,” a world of pimps, prostitution and drugs.

“All that was fascinating to me. That was the beginning of the end.”

Today Mr. Whitlow is an Outreach Technician for NPI’s PATH program (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness), reaching out to homeless persons with mental illness and trying to get them to accept help.

“I have no regrets on the past… I understand fully now that was necessary to bring me to what I’m doing today… I look at this like a ministry… when I see the homeless, it’s time to serve.”

He has worked for PATH since 2004.

In the past he was good at getting jobs—and losing them.

“I’d rather drink and enjoy the night life than go to work or pay my bills. I’d end up at the Cherry Street Mission or at St. Paul’s or staying with a friend… I was really bitter. I would argue and fight anybody just at the drop of a hat.”

After bar fighting and domestic violence landed him in prison, he began to change in 2003.

“I worked at a textile mill in jail making clothes—it was a quality control job,” he said. “I got real good at it… if a prisoner had a problem with the way he made a coat I would go to him… They used to tell me their problems. The guys would tell me they hadn’t heard from their daughter or son or wife… I realized that I had a purpose.”

He became an informal mediator between prisoners and prison staff until his release in late 2003. He learned to care for himself, thanks in part to Unison Behavioral Health Group.

“When I looked on my past, I realized I was never taught by anyone how to love and like me, so I had to teach myself.”

Juanita Halbig-Sanchez, his supervisor at NPI, sees positive results:

“John has a passion that is inspiring to others. He puts his PATH consumers first and is a tireless advocate for them. John always tells me that if you respect people you get it back, and I believe that is the foundation of why he works so well with the people he serves.”

He is a rock for others who are suffering. There have been occasions when he has literally saved lives, for example, he once persuaded a suicidal homeless man to get help at Rescue Mental Health Services.

“He was standing in the middle of the street trying to let cars hit him. I said, ‘Aren’t you tired? Do you want to die?’ I finally got him to go to Rescue. I felt good about that.”