I found myself in the street gangs, hanging out with The Gangster Disciples. I thought it was love, but instead I found myself in and out of jail for the next fifteen years. Several times after being released from jail I became involved with the drug world. My drugs of choice included LSD, PCP, crack, heroin, and cocaine. It started out as a street business, pushing dope, but later became addicted to heroin and crack. The only way to keep my addiction alive was to commit crimes such as robbery and burglary…anything that would get me money to get HIGH! After being shot and stabbed by my own gang members, I began to see there was no real love there.

After fifteen years of this lifestyle, of being in and out of jail, I was faced with a jail sentence of twenty-five years or more if found guilty. At that point I regretted everything I had done in life. The only ONE who heard me was GOD. When the police took me they had the right man. I was guilty of the crime. It was my third armed robbery conviction. God heard me and turned everything around!

     Today I am Reverend Ronald Smith, a street preacher from Chicago.  I’m also the Director and Founder of the Choose to Lose Inc. non-profit organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

     The Choose to Lose Program is an outreach intervention and prevention program concerned with the social, emotional, behavioral and spiritual needs of youth and their families.  We’ve produce a 2 Set Prevention Dvd Series to inform and educate people on the perils of gangs and bullying behavior. Youth are confronted with the reality of these lifestyle choices with an emphasis that when you choose gangs, drugs, and bullying you “Choose to Lose”.