When Jaron Nabors of Joliet was released from federal prison in 2022, he immediately jumped into community outreach.

And in 2023, Nabors said his ultimate dream is to build a community center for kids on Joliet’s South Side. The community center would have a recording studio, tutoring sessions, a food pantry and free meals, he said.

“Those are big dreams,” Nabors said in 2023. “But I’m going to bring them to fruition, I assure you.”

On Thursday, Nabors is hosting a grand opening for the FTTTW Community Center at 6 p.m. that will include tours of the 2200-square-foot space and refreshments.

The center is located at 1523 Plainfield Road in Joliet near Crest Hill.

Currently, 31 youth ages 11 to 19 participate in the program, which has been held at local churches, Nabors said.

Someone recently donated a van to provide transportation for the kids to get to and from the community center, Nabors said.

Nabors gave the credit to God, whom he said is “directing my steps.”

“I’m grateful to be serving the community in this capacity,” he said.

The roots of the idea

Nabors previously said he spent more than 16 years as part of a gang and went to federal prison for dealing drugs. But prison is also the place Nabors previously said “turned my life around.”

“I just gave my life to God,” Nabors previously said. “I told God I would follow His will and submit to Him. This is the path He led me down.”

Soon after his release from prison, Nabors started an organization called 2morrowstartz2day that provides an after-school program with free meals five days a week, along with tutoring, career readiness workshops and one-on-one mentorship.

He also started community meetings to give “voice to the voiceless,” he previously said.

In 2023, Nabors hosted a talent show for youth ages 10 to 18.

In 2024 Nabors hosted “A Day of Healing,” an outdoor event that included food, music, bounce houses for children, haircuts and guest speakers – all free.

Nabors hosted a second “A Day of Healing” in 2025.

Now that 2morrowstartz2day has a permanent location, Nabors plans to expand programming to meet the unique needs of all participants, whether they’re struggling with self-esteem or their schoolwork, he said.

“I want them to know this is a safe space, where people care about them and people want what’s best for them,” Nabors said. “We want them to leave better than when they came in.”

To that end, Nabors still needs donations and volunteers for FTTTW Community Center.

For more information and to donate, call 779-875-9537 or visit 2morrowstartz2day.com.