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A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO
Three years ago this month I was in the process of going through two very significant life changes. My father was in the last week of his battle with pancreatic cancer before passing on into eternity. The last week with my dad was one of the most challenging weeks I have ever had but it was also one of the most inspiring. As his ability to communicate deteriorated and his suffering increased I was reminded of how short life really is and how important it is that we pursue a life of meaning, purpose and resolve. Dad was a car mechanic his whole life and there was nothing more invigorating than seeing customer after customer come in and visit him during his last month on this earth-- and when he passed away the letters of appreciation and genuine love were a testimony to what it means to view customers not as agents of a simple monetary transaction but as people who by nature are relational.
The other significant change was the creation of CleanTurn. I flew to Columbus from Chicago to meet with a group of "philanthropic investors" who were interested in launching a small business focused on providing training and employment for individuals facing significant challenges to employment. Since we launched in January 2012 we have been able to provide nearly 250 training and employment opportunities for men and women returning from incarceration and/or who have recovered from substance abuse. In our second month of operation we generated $500 in revenue-- we are now generating nearly $150,000 a month and we are entirely self-sustaining (no dependence on philanthropic or public grants allowing these type of dollars to be invested in other community needs).
At the core of our growth and impact is a singular pursuit of realizing, believing and nurturing a mindset that we are relational beings-- we are people who long for authentic relationships rooted and grounded in love.
We are on a mission to change the perception that individuals who have made wrong choices in the past cannot make right decisions in the present. We are on a mission to show the world that genuine change can happen-- certainly we are shaped by our past decisions but our present decisions direct the future course of who we will become. The CleanTurn team is focused on providing superior customer service-- high quality construction and property maintenance services-- but this is a means to a greater mission of cultivating authentic relationships committed to a professional and personal life of excellence that demonstrates a genuine change!
Thank you for your support, encouragement and partnership!
Sincerely,
John Rush
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