It’s four o’clock in the morning a man sitting in his cell watches as the cell doors pop open. He calls the guard thinking they’ve made a mistake. He couldn’t be leaving at 4 a.m. it was too early. He closed his gate, and they popped it right back open. 

There was no mistake, after 11 years in prison Joe Alvarez was going to walk a free man that day. He was escorted out of his cell to change from his jumpsuit into civilian clothes. He collected his 18 photo albums and his letters, leaving everything else behind for the other inmates.

As Alvarez walked next to his correctional officer and each gate popped open he felt a mixture of excitement and fear settle down on him. 

“The only thing that beats that was the birth of my children,” said Alvarez. “There was no better feeling than that, but it was a scary feeling too. I didn’t want to let anyone down this time. You see this time I wasn’t doing it for my mom or my family. This time I was doing it for myself and I was afraid. I was afraid to fail. That kept me in check.” 

Once out of the gate the correctional officer looked at Alvarez, “Don’t let me ever see you again.” 

“I said to him, ‘don’t you worry, you’ll never see me again,’” said Alvarez. “I’m a man of my word. The only thing I’ve got that belongs to me is my word and you best believe I will hold that.”

 Nearly 18 years later Alvarez stayed true to his word. He came home, back to Newburgh, that morning calling out to his friends and family celebrating his freedom with a new lease on life.  

 Circumstances in his life led Alvarez to the back seat of a police car. He was 3 years old when his father was shot and murdered. At 12 years old he was living on the street moving from one friends couch to another. His mom kicked him out unable to feed eight hungry children at once. He had no job and no way of making money, so he went the route he was guaranteed to make enough money to survive. 

 He started selling drugs at 16 years old to survive. As he grew older and better it became about the game rather than survival. It became about the hustle. 

 “By the time I realized that I should get out, it was too late,” said Alvarez. “I was in too deep.” 

 Sitting outside Blacc Vanilla Cafe on South Street in Newburgh, Alvarez goes through his troubled past that started right there on that block. He points to a spot on the sidewalk next to two girls painting a new mural on a crosswalk. 

“That’s where my best friend Ismael was shot and killed,” said Alvarez. “I had so many people close to me shot and killed. I thank God everyday that I am still alive and that I’ve got my health.” 

Across the street from the cafe was the spot where Alvarez made his fatal drug deal. He woke up one night with a dream, that his father told him to fix his life. With the intention to do just that Alvarez applied for a job and was accepted to be a factory worker. He went to get a haircut before his first day of work at a local barbershop.  

“I heard some people outside and police were arresting them,” said Alvarez. “Before I knew it they were arresting me too, with no explanation. When I got to the station the two undercover state troopers came out, and I knew that was it.” 

At 18 years old Alvarez was sent to jail for 11 years. On March 2, 2000 Alvarez was released from Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, NY. When he came out of prison he was ready to contribute to the community he had a hand in tearing apart as a kid in the 80s. He got a job welding for Frank Stella, which 13 years later he still has today. He has a full-time position at McKinsey Pharmaceuticals as a material  handler. Alvarez has supported his family completely on his own with two children in college and one still in high school. He just welcomed his first grandson last week.

“When I invested in myself that’s when I started to live,” said Alvarez. “I had always lived for everyone else. I finally shut up and listened to myself. I was putting myself in very dangerous situations. I didn’t love myself. Whatever you want to achieve you can achieve as long as you have love and respect for yourself and for others.”

Alvarez is one of the most well known men in Newburgh, sitting outside the cafe in Newburgh there is not a person driving or walking by that will not stop to give him a warm greeting. He has the respect of the community, a respect he has earned through his love and selflessness in regards to his community, and everything he went through to get to where he is in life. 

“In my survival stage I destroyed a lot of homes,” said Alvarez. “I took dreams and desire away from the city when I was in the streets selling poison to my people. I destroyed homes, families, and lives. That’s why I’m so passionate about bringing love back to the city. I want to be able to heal someone’s wounds.” 

Alvarez has begun to heal wounds and families when he founded “We are Newburgh” a group that organizes events to give back to the community. The money for the events comes out of T-shirt sales or out of Alvarez’s own pocket and through some of the volunteers that are capable of contributing. It started with Alvarez asking to throw a cookout in Downing Park in 2013. He pulled together everything within two days with the help of City Manager Michael Ciaravino and members of the community. The first cookout was a huge success and has continued to grow every year since. 

“I never thought ‘We are Newburgh’ would be where we are today,” said Alvarez. “It’s like I never left that first cookout. We are a reflection of our city. We take no donations, if you want to help you show up and help. We want to give credit to the community and show everyone working together.” 

The group does cookouts and handouts for people in the community, each of their events bringing in hundreds to thousands of people. Everything at each “We are Newburgh” event is 100 percent free for any member of the community.  

The group gives out food and haircuts and takes donated clothes to prepare people to get work around Thanksgiving. They give children in the community bookbags and school supplies at their huge back to school barbeque. 

The group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church. The church where Alvarez was shot in front of three times as a young man. His past surrounds him every place he goes in Newburgh, but he has worked tirelessly to work with those around him to bring Newburgh to the community it is today.

 “I lost a lot of friends. There’s a lot of them that never got to see grandkids or even see their kids grow up,” said Alvarez. “God blessed me to see my children grown up to be men and women, to be a grandfather. I am grateful that I went to jail because that changed my life.

My struggle made me who I am today. It made me appreciate the life I have today. I just want to make people know that you can be whoever you want to be if you are willing to invest in yourself. Don’t let anyone distract you from your dreams. Always reach for the moon. And I’m always reaching.”