What's Happening

By Daniel Rowe
Executive Director, Recycling, RecycleForce

On an October day in 2019, Leslie Sanders walked through the doors of RecycleForce. Referred by his parole officer, he had just completed nearly 20 years in prison for a series of burglaries and related felonies across Central Indiana.

When he was arrested, there were no iPhones, iPods, or touchscreens, technology that’s now part of everyday life. To say he was entering a “new world” was an understatement. But RecycleForce was ready to help him navigate it and re-enter society.

From the start, the voices around him were discouraging: “You’ll fail and be back in prison.” But Leslie refused to accept that fate. Determined not to return to incarceration, he joined RecycleForce immediately after his release as a “high-risk to reoffend” participant.

During his first meeting with his parole officer, he was told bluntly that she didn’t expect him to succeed – and assumed he’d be back in jail within 30 days. His two adult daughters, who attended the meeting, were in tears. But Leslie reassured them: “Don’t worry. I’m going to be here for you.” The parole officer told him she wanted him specifically at RecycleForce.

Over the next six years, Leslie worked his way up through nearly every position at the organization – starting on the warehouse floor, then managing the community recycling dock, overseeing Saturday Tox Drops, serving as the primary driver, and now working as Transportation and Logistics Supervisor. Today, Leslie is the face of RecycleForce for many corporate customers, known for his reliability, hard work, and willingness to tackle any challenge.

“I believe in RecycleForce,” he said. “It helped me, and I want people to know how it changed my life.” 

Like many returning citizens, Leslie also faced major barriers to housing. No one would give him a chance to apply for an apartment. Once again, RecycleForce staff intervened, contacting a local property management company to recommend him personally. With that endorsement, he secured an apartment, never missed a rent payment, and in 2023 purchased his own home. Today, he takes pride in spending quiet Sunday afternoons relaxing in his own yard.

As RecycleForce’s representative at community events, Mr. Sanders now organizes and manages collection drives across Central Indiana. In October 2025, he led a successful electronics recycling event at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a large Catholic parish in Carmel. The event raised $2,200 in donations and collected nearly 11,000 pounds of e-waste from parishioners.

In early 2025, Mr. Sanders was granted a complete expungement after appearing in multiple counties before different judges – one of whom was likely involved in his sentencing 20 years earlier.  Every judge remarked that his story is what they wanted to hear. His story, and the presence of a program like RecycleForce right in their backyard,  gave them hope. 

Throughout his journey, RecycleForce helped Leslie break free from the revolving door of incarceration and recidivism that traps so many. His story is living proof that with opportunity, support, and determination, reentry into society can lead to renewal.

With the Adrian Dominican Sisters impact investment, RecycleForce provides employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated men and women and reduces the amount of electronic waste flowing into Indiana’s landfills. This initiative aligns with the Congregation’s long-standing commitment to economic justice and to empowering marginalized communities.
 

Caption for above feature photo: Leslie Sanders, left, stands with Mark Mann, center, and Rob Smith, right, after successfully completing RecycleForce’s peer mentor program and moving forward to a new job.

December 8, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – Artificial intelligence poses many dangers and challenges in our world, but it also contributes to scientific breakthroughs that bring benefit. In The Challenges and Opportunities of Living with AI, speaker Berit Reisenauer Guidotti, MTS, explores the ways our shared social world might begin to recognize these aspects of artificial intelligence. 

The talk is offered from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Weber Retreat and Conference Center and via livestream.

A doctoral candidate in theological ethics at Boston College, Berit discusses the harmful environmental and economic impacts of artificial intelligence as well as its benefits. She also presents Christian and Catholic reflections on technology, creation, and our shared social world. 

Berit earned her Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree, with a focus on moral theology, from the University of Notre Dame. She also worked as a management consultant in the technology and manufacturing industries.

The cost of the presentation is $25, and registration is required. Visit www.webercenter.org and click on “programs,” call 517-266-4000, or email [email protected]. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. On East Siena Heights Drive, turn into the driveway between Adrian Rea Literacy Center and the solar panel-covered carport. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.