The "Daily Illini" Online
published Friday, May 9, 2003
Amara Enyia
Assistant news editor
For Champaign resident Charles Corey, "failure" is not a word in his vocabulary. Corey said his life, though fraught with hardships, has proven that determination and a strong spiritual foundation can bring anyone back from the brink.
According to a study recently released by the Justice Department, more than 30,000 people were charged with federal drug offenses; 91 percent of those convictions were for drug trafficking. Meanwhile, total drug violations have continued to climb. Corey has found a way, he believes, to combat this problem.
Corey, who said he has always had a love for people, is the founder of Agape Love Corner.
Corey has created a Web site where gifts such as toys, apparel, watches and luggage can be purchased by those who visit it, at www.agapelc.com. Proceeds from purchased items go toward funding a rehabilitation center Corey hopes to establish in Champaign. The center will be a place where people who have recently been released from jail — especially those with a history of substance abuse — can be counseled and prepared to re-enter society.
Corey's dedication to making the program work stems from his own personal life experiences. When he graduated from high school, he went to college and obtained a bachelor's degree in social service counseling at the University of Illinois in Springfield, only to graduate without knowing how he would use his degree.
Corey ultimately found different jobs in counseling, but eventually returned to Springfield to work as a substance abuse counselor. But at that point, his life took several turns. Corey discovered his fiancee was dealing with the same problems he counseled in others.
"My fiancee struggled with a substance abuse problem which caused a great deal of stress and heartache," Corey said. "Her problem caused her to go in and out of treatment centers until it finally ended her up in prison."
After Corey's fiancee was released from prison, she continued her substance abuse habit. Her habit caused several problems between them, and ultimately they went their separate ways. Corey said problems in his personal life began to affect every other aspect of his life and he realized he did not know how to get out of his negative situation.
Corey said at that point in his life he turned to God. He credits getting his life back on track to his Christianity.
"I've come to find out that the only true way to counsel somebody is to lead them to Christ," Corey said. "When you're talking about a traditional counseling type of setting and you're teaching secular methods, those people are designed to fail, but if you use spiritual methods, it's a winning situation."
Corey said he has had several friends who went to prison and were unable to readjust to society upon their release but he hopes his program will change that pattern.
He has received several letters from inmates thanking him for his support and financial contributions. One inmate dealing with a cocaine addiction expressed that Corey was the only one in the Champaign-Urbana area whom he could lean on.
"So many people are dealing with the problem of chemical dependency and they're in and out of prison." Corey said. "For some reason, our society thinks that punishing people is the answer but it's not. You have to rehabilitate people. You have to give them something to shoot for — something to dream about."
Corey said his dream for Agape Love Corner is not to be a place only of praise and worship, but of action and of investing in people's lives.
"I just want to be able to reach a hand out and let these people know that you can make it and I'm willing to invest in you that you can make it," Corey said.
© 2003 Illini Media Company, all rights reserved.
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