Clay, who was incarcerated and released into society with nothing, created an organization called Battle-Tested Bags that provides a duffel bag filled with basic clothing and toiletries for men and women who have just left prison.
Every incarcerated person, no matter how many years served, is allotted $75 upon release. If court costs, fines or fees are owed, then he may leave prison with even less. Deciding what to spend that money on can be a difficult decision, Clay said.
Clay’s motivation for the program, housed at Grace United Methodist Church in Dayton, is based on his own understanding of choices formerly incarcerated men and women must make. The program tries to get bags to the people leaving incarceration within the first 72 hours.
“The first days are critical,” Clay said.
According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, more than 20,000 men and women are released each year in Ohio.
Mike Bolin, who was incarcerated for three years, was released in July of 2021.
“The bag really helped me get my feet on the ground and feel appreciated,” Bolin said.
Keeping a steady, good job has been a challenge, Bolin said, as well as battling mental health issues from being incarcerated in addition to his childhood trauma.
The Battle-Tested community has helped Bolin with transportation and making necessary social connections. One of Clay’s goals with the program is to help every man or woman find a place of self-sufficiency.
Not everyone is supportive of a returning citizen, Clay noted. Some are fearful and some refuse to forgive, while others are judgmental. Clay’s family supported him in his venture of helping people and so did Quinn Howard, a program coordinator of Montgomery County Office of Reentry.
Clay has “built relationships with partners in the community to make it happen,” Howard said. Clay met Howard while enrolled in the Montgomery County Career Alliance Academy in 2017, a three-week program offering a career and job readiness curriculum for returning citizens.
Twenty bags have been presented this year to men and women upon their release.
“Battle Tested isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about learning and growing. After four years of living outside of the gate, I understand the battle they are facing. And the person I’m delivering the bag to understands that I’ve been where he is,” Clay said.
Clay said “it’s like Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, every holiday,” when someone receives a bag. “They’re like big kids, unzipping the bag to see what’s inside. The next wave of emotion is tears.”
Clay says his dream is to create a safe place for men and women to find patience, peace, and rest after being released from prison because it’s difficult for those seeking to restart their lives when chaos is around them.
“People don’t care what you know until they know that you care,” Clay said. “It’s not just a bag, but a relationship.”
For more information about Battle-Tested Bags, go to www.battletested5889i5.com
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