Rickey grew up as one of six children in Great Brook Valley, raised by a mother without a high school diploma and a father who struggled with addiction and incarceration. Labeled early on as a troubled student with a learning disability, Rickey found a safe haven at the Boys and Girls Club—a place where kids could just be kids, free of judgment and worry. Thanks to the Club, which even provided transportation, Rickey discovered a sense of belonging and support that still resonates with him today—he still has his membership card from 1991.
With encouragement from mentors like his cousin Carlos Garcia, Rickey began giving back as a peer leader with the Henry Lee Willis Community Center. He then became a tobacco youth advisor with the Great Brook Valley Health Center, supervised the Graffiti Removal Program in the neighborhood, and created the Scattered Site Summer Program through the Worcester Housing Authority to provide daily recreation for underserved youth.
While supporting his community, Rickey pursued higher education—earning an associate degree from Quinsigamond Community College and a bachelor’s in Sociology from UMass Amherst with a concentration in social services. His career has included roles as a social worker for at-risk foster children, clinician and team lead at Youth Net, social service coordinator for the elderly and disabled, therapeutic mentor, and community support worker.
Today, Rickey works as a Residential Council II for Community Healthlink through UMass Memorial, helping adults with dual diagnoses live independently. Throughout it all, he continues to refer kids to the Boys and Girls Club and proudly carries the identity of a “Club kid”—a reminder of where it all began.