[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, FREDDY CHERYL WAS IN
PRISON, IN SERIOUS DRUGS AND AT
ONE POINT HAD RESIGNED HIMSELF
TO A LIFE NOT WORTH LIVING.
THEN, HE MET SOMEONE WHO TOOK A
CHANCE ON HIM.
I INTERVIEWED HIM RECENTLY.
BUT FIST, HERE'S HOW FREDDY
SETTLED FOR MORE.
>> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
MY MOTHER AND MY GRANDMOTHER
RAISED ME AND MY SISTERS AND MY
BROTHERS.
>> FREDDY DROPPED OUT OF COOL IN
THE FIRST GRADE.
>> I WOULD GO TO GROCERY STORES
TO STEAL GOOD TO FEED MY
BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
>> Reporter: AT 16, HE WAS
INTRODUCED TO DRUGS.
>> AT 16, I WAS INTRODUCED TO
MARIJUANA.
AND THEN, COCAINE.
MY LIFE EXPLODED THEN AND THERE.
>> Reporter: HE WAS IN AND OUT
OF JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS
AND THEN PRISON.
>> I THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF A
NORMAL LIFESTYLE.
I STARTED TO LIVE OUT ON THE
STREETS.
NOT ONLY WAS I HOMELESS BUT I
BEGAN TO EAT OUT OF GARBAGE CANS
AND DUMPSTERS.
>> Reporter: NOW, MARRIED, HE
MET A PASTOR THAT SAVED HIS
LIFE.
>> HE ASKED ME, WHAT DO I KNOW
WHAT TO DO.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY
LIFE, I TOLD THE TRUTH.
I SAID, NOTHING.
I SAID, ALL MY LIFE, ALL I DID
WAS LAUGH, CHEAT, STEAL, DO
DRUGS, DRINK ALCOHOL AND SPEND
TIME IN PRISON.
AND HE TOLD ME, I'M GOING TO
GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE.
IF I SMELL MOUTHWASH ON YOUR
BREATH, THAT'S IT.
THE HARDEST THING I EVER DONE IN
MY LIFE WAS ASK SOMEBODY TO HELP
ME.
>> JOINING ME NOW, FREDDY, AND
PASTOR EISEN, WHO HAS PLAYED A
PIVOTAL ROLL FOR HELPING FREDDY
TURN HIS LIFE AROUND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
YOU ARE OPEN ABOUT THE FACT YOU
DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD CHILDHOOD OR
A FATHER FIGURE.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WOULD COMMIT
A CRIME TO GET THROWN BACK INTO
PRISON?
>> YES, MA'AM.
ONE NIGHT, IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE.
AND I HAD THE IDEA THAT IF I
THREW A BRICK THROUGH A WINDOW,
THE POLICE WOULD COME AND GET ME
AND I WOULD GO TO JAIL.
>> WHERE YOU WOULD BE FED AND
WARM, I GUESS.
>> I WOULD BE WARM FOR THE NIGHT
AND I WOULD GET BREAKFAST, THE
NEXT MORNING.
>> THE NEXT MORNING, WHEN I WAS
IN JAIL, I WENT TO HORT.
I JUST KNEW I WOULD SPENT SOME
TIME IN JAIL.
BUT THE JUDGE TOLD ME I DIDN'T
WRONG IN JAIL.
HE LET ME GO.
AND I WAS DEVASTATED BECAUSE I
HAD NOWHERE TO GO.
WHEN I WALKED OUT OF THE JAIL
THAT DAY, I DECIDED I WOULD BLOW
MY BRAINS OUT BECAUSE I WAS
TIRED OF HURTING EVERYBODY.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
>> I HAD A 25 AUTOMATIC PISTOL
IN MY HAND.
I THREW THE GUN DOWN ON THE
GROUND AND STARTED CRYING.
AND THE GUN SAY, POW, POW, POW.
>> WOW.
>> INCREDIBLY, YOU MANAGED TO
GET YOURSELF INTO THIS HALFWAY
HOUSE.
AND YOUR WIFE STUCK BY YOU.
AND THEN, YOU MEET THIS GUY.
LET ME START WITH YOU, PASTOR.
WHAT MADE YOU -- FREDDIE TALKS
ABOUT HOW YOU TRUSTED HIM.
YOU MADE THE DECISION TO TRUST
HIM.
WHY?
>> IT'S CRAZY, ISN'T IT?
IT'S LIKE HE SAID THAT, WELL,
OKAY.
YOU'RE HIRED.
A LADY IN MY CHURCH IN
MORGANTOWN, NORTH CAROLINA,
BROUGHT FREDDIE BY.
HER HUSBAND HAD MET FREDDIE AT
AA.
WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT HE COULD
DO AT THE CHURCH?
NOT A JOB-JOB.
SHE BROUGHT HIM UP.
I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU QUALIFIED
TO DO.
AS HE SAID IN THE CLIP, LIE,
CHEAT, STEAL, DRINK, GO TO
PRISON.
BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING
AUTHENTIC ABOUT HIM.
I DIDN'T FEEL HE WAS CONNING ME.
YOU WEREN'T CONNING ME, WERE
YOU?
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> IT WORKED, DIDN'T IT?
>> YEAH.
>> PRETTY GOOD, LONG CON IF SO.
>> THAT'S THE LONGEST CON IN
HISTORY.
EVERY YEAR, FREDDIE GIVES ME HIS
AA CHIP.
I BROUGHT THIS CHIP.
29 YEARS SOBER.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> WOW.
THAT'S AMAZING.
AS IT DOES FOR SO MANY PEOPLE,
THAT CAN HELP MAKE THE
DIFFERENCE.
BUT FREDDIE'S SOBRIETY AND HELP
FROMPASTOR
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
SO, FREDDIE SHERRILL WAS A
HOMELESS EX-CON AND DID NOT SEE
A FUTURE FOR HIMSELF.
THEN, HE MET PASTOR STEVE EASON,
AND THAT MADE ALL OF THE
DIFFERENCE.
HELPING HIM, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
TO ENGAGE MORE IN THE LIVES OF
HIS CHILDREN AND IN HIS OWN
LIFE.
YOU TRIED TO GET YOUR G.E.D. HOW
MANY TIMES?
>> IT TOOK ME SIX TIMES TO GET
MY G.E.D.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
GUI
GIVEN UP ON TIME ONE AND TIME
TWO.
AND ON THE SIXTH TIME, WHAT
HAPPENED?
>> I PASSED IT ON ONE POINT.
>> BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH.
YOU WANTED MORE.
YOU MANAGED THIS MAN WITH THE
COLORFUL ABOUTTIV S
COLORFUL ADJECTIVES, MANAGED TO
GET HIMSELF A ASSOCIATES DEGREE.
>> IT TOOK ME 13 YEARS TO GET A
ASSOCIATES DEGREE, WITH A
CONCENTRATION IN SUBSTANCE
ABUSE.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
SAID, I'M GOOD.
BUT HOLD ON.
THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, EITHER.
TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT HAPPENED
LAST WEEK.
>> LAST WEEK, BY THE GRACE OF
GOD, I WAS ABLE TO GRADUATE FROM
QUEENS UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE
WITH A BACHELORS DEGREE IN HUMAN
STUDIES.
>> AMAZING.
THAT'S AMAZING.
AW.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
YOU GUYS ARE GREAT, TOO.
>> THE STATISTIC, THREE TIMES.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS GUY
OVER HERE, WHAT HAS HE MEANT TO
YOU ON THIS JOURNEY?
>> DON'T MAKE ME CRY.
>> EVEN THOUGH I'M A YEAR OR TWO
OLDER THAN DR. EASON, THAT'S THE
FATHER FIGURE THAT I NEVER HAD.
[ APPLAUSE ]
NOT ONLY DID HE GIVE ME A JOB AT
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT
TOOK ME TO A BANK AND SHOWED ME
HOW TO OPEN UP A SAVINGS ACCOUNT
AND CHECKING ACCOUNT.
>> TO ME, THAT'S WHAT THIS STORY
IS ABOUT.
ALL YOU NEED IS ONE PERSON.
>> YEP.
>> TO BELIEVE IN YOU, TO TAKE A
CHANCE ON YOU, TO TRUST YOU.
>> ONE DOOR.
>> TO HELP YOU.
THAT'S IT.
GOOD FOR YOU FOR DOING IT.
AND TO YOU, FOR WALKING THROUGH
IT.
WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT?
MASTERS MANY NEXT?
>> PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED