ABOUT US

The Tale of Two Ivans
Ivan A. Long

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Imagine being raised in a household where you had to figure out life on your own while shielding your siblings from the storm. As an adult, you poured that same protective energy into becoming a single father in the 1990s—navigating a world where men doing it alone was far from the norm, driven solely by the desire to give your only daughter everything.

Over the years, the hard work paid off. You found love, built a beautiful, blended family, bought a home, and finally achieved stability. But life has a way of shifting. A painful divorce brought that chapter to a close. Years later, an even greater test arrived: you survived a massive heart attack, only to face the devastating diagnosis of End-Stage Heart Failure. Yet, even in the fight of your life, your spirit remains unbroken. You are still fighting, still hoping, and completely determined to live every single moment to the fullest.

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Ivan A. Long Jr.

Imagine being the son of a man who built the foundation and handed you the
building blocks for a flawless future. You had it all—a stellar football record, popularity, and the financial backing to conquer whatever came next. But as you grew, pride and independence took over; you didn’t want handouts. You wanted to carve out your own name.

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Fast forward a few years. You’re trying to build a family on a rocky foundation, carrying the heavy expectation that a man must provide. But the world only offers you dead-end jobs that can't cover rent, you have two babies to feed, and an eviction notice is staring you down from the front door. Panic sets in. Survival mode takes over—leading to a desperate choice, an armed robbery conviction, and a lengthy prison sentence. Now, the gates have opened. You are stepping into a new normal; in a world that moved on without you. The moment those gates opened, reality hit fast. No phone, no ID or identifying documents. Every job application, apartment, and the stigma from a community that shuns you sets you further back from where you started. The odds are stacked high, and a criminal record blocks almost every path. You don’t know where to start, but amidst the uncertainty, you carry one quiet, unbreakable driving force: hope.