After struggling with homelessness, Lavelle Schaffe is finally living his dream of becoming a Chicago police officer. The devoted father of two told WLS, “My life has come full circle. It still feels like a movie, almost.”
Ten years ago, Schaffer moved out of his family’s North Lawndale home to help his then-girlfriend, who was expecting their first child. But soon they had nowhere to live and frequently slept on the train.
He recounted, “Every day was like survival mode. ‘Where am I sleeping? Who’s going to stay up?’ That takes a toll on you.”
Schaffer had been living in such terrible conditions for more than a year when he ran across a Metropolitan Family Services representative at a shelter. He reached out for inquiries after receiving a business card.
From then on, he was given transit vouchers, mental health therapy, and classes in parenting and money management.
This gave him the courage he needed to join the Chicago Police Department.
The 33-year-old remarked, “Ever since then, here I am. It’s 2024 and that one card kind of changed my whole life.”
According to the proud father, he has received a lot from Metropolitan Family Services, including being named their “Father of the Year.” Schaffer now helps out by offering advice to other new fathers. He is presently a member of the board.
The fact that his sons can look up to him makes him even more happy.
He stated, “They’re looking up to me and I read their paperwork at school, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And they say, ‘I want to be a police officer like my dad.’”
