MILWAUKEE – From prison to a role model, one Milwaukee man has learned hard work can take you in a positive direction.

His story is Positively Milwaukee.

The story of Charles Dupar is so inspiring, it was highlighted in this year’s United Way campaign of greater Milwaukee.

“I was 22 years old the first time I went to jail,” Dupar said.

Dupar was in and out of prison for more than 12 years. He talks about his struggle in a video produced by Serve Marketing.

“Selling drugs on the street definitely was a picture that was painted to get out of the ghetto,” Dupar said.

Today, Dupar is out of jail, off drugs and off the streets…and he’s working full time.

As he looked over wedding pictures with his sister, Dupar is a new man. Years on the wrong side, taught him to appreciate life’s blessings: freedom and family.

“Going through what me and my family went through for several years now, it makes you realize how valuable life can be and how precious life is,” Dupar said.

That lesson became even clearer after Dupar lost his brother to violence eight years ago. He was the victim of a robbery. His mother, Gloria Dupar almost fell apart.

“Finally asked God to give me the strength to endure what I have to go through,” Gloria said.

It was that faith Gloria turned to when praying for Charles.

“It seems like when I put him in God’s hands, I turned him over to God, that’s when I began to see a change come about in his life,” Gloria said.

Today, Charles Dupar is thriving. He has his own apartment and was recently named Father Of The Year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

He has an associate’s degree from ITT Technical College in Greenfield…but he’s not done yet. He plans to go back to school and get a bachelor’s degree.

“The way I was taught was to try to be constructive. Do something with yourself. Be a provider. Do what needs to be done to be a righteous person out here,” Dupar said.

“He was brought up in a spiritual home, but once they get that certain age the choices that they make is there’s,” Gloria said.

With the help of United Way funded agencies, Dupar walks a new path, filled with hope and possibilities.

“It’s like a wake up call. I know that nothing’s guaranteed,” Dupar said.

United Way touches over 420,000 lives in Milwaukee every year.

Gloria says she does not feel guilty as a mother, because she knows she did the best she could do in raising her kids. She is just thrilled that her son has finally found a way to become a productive citizen.