‘I too must give’: St. George man overcomes addiction, finds purpose in family, business, giving back

Written by Jessi Bang
April 6, 2022

ST. GEORGE — When it comes to the wrath of addiction, Jesse Trani, owner of Trani Brothers Landscaping, is one of the lucky ones.

Jesse Trani, owner of "Trani Brothers Landscaping" takes a family photo with his fiance, Vanisa Cleveland, and his four children, April 3, 2022, St. George, Utah | Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News
Jesse Trani, owner of Trani Brothers Landscaping takes a family photo with his fiance, Vanisa Cleveland and his four children, April 3, 2022, St. George, Utah | Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News

Trani’s story is one of both defeat and victory, illuminating the fact that addiction can happen to anyone, as even though he was both raised by loving parents and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he still found his way onto a dark path that would alter his life.

Originally from St. George, Trani, 28, has been a resident of the city on and off for 24 years, he told St. George News. With his father being a police officer and his mother a school teacher, he said he had a great childhood with supportive parents who focused on raising him to be the best version of himself.

But around the age of 12, he said he began experimenting with recreational drugs. By age 15, he began to abuse narcotics, and about a year later, at 16, he developed a dependency. He spent the next couple of years in and out of juvenile centers and treatment facilities, wreaking havoc on his family. And due to his substance abuse, he was kicked out of multiple schools but finally graduated from an alternative high school at age 19. That same year, his first child was born. 

At age 21, after checking in and out of several drug and alcohol treatment facilities, he said his child and the children of his child’s mother were removed from their home.

After 15 months of sobriety and working to get his children back, he relapsed at age 23. At that time, members of his family took custody of his children and he was evicted from his apartment.

“I realized I was doing this whole thing over and over and over and over and over again,” he said. “And I finally had gotten to the point where I really didn’t want to continue going on the way that I did, but I really didn’t want to clean up my own mess, either. So my plans were that I was just going to take my own life and I wasn’t going to continue on. Because I was done and I was scared.”

A finished photo of a landscaping project by Trani Brothers Landscaping, Date and location unspecified, Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News
A finished photo of a landscaping project by Trani Brothers Landscaping, Date and location unspecified, Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News

Instead, he decided to make some changes, including moving from Salt Lake City back to St. George, with only a backpack and a few hundred dollars. Once he made it to Washington County, he was put in contact with the owner of a recovery house in St. George.

“I reached out to this gentleman and he said, ‘Go to this house meeting, and if you get voted in, we’ll give you a place to stay,’” Trani said.

After getting voted in, he lived in the facility for six months, where he soon realized that a large and supportive recovery community existed in St. George. He began working in the landscaping business with other men who taught him the ropes and supported him in almost every aspect of his life – from being more present with his kids to offering him rides to and from work. 

When the pandemic hit the country, Trani said he then had his children living with him and was struggling to find a balance between work, picking up side jobs to make ends meet and being a single father. That’s when he decided to take a leap of faith and start his own landscaping business, Trani Brothers Landscaping.

“I got an overwhelming amount of support from a lot of different people, from the recovery community, from the people I used to work for – just a lot of friends that I gained – and that’s really what pushed me forward,” Trani said.

Originally starting the business by himself, Trani’s brother joined in to help, ultimately leading to the inception of Trani Brothers Landscaping, which has been running now for almost two years and employs five under the company name. He said he has not done it all by himself and expressed gratitude toward all who have helped him along the way, including his sister, those who have done work for him and the recovery community.

Residents of the Unity House enjoy the new landscaped backyard, Date unspecified, St. George, Utah | Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News
Residents of the Unity House enjoy the new landscaped backyard, Date unspecified, St. George, Utah | Photo courtesy of Vanisa Cleveland, St. George News

With all the support Trani has received, he said he wanted to give back to the community. When he saw an online photo of Unity House, a recovery facility for women and children in St. George, he noticed the backyard had only dirt. Knowing there were children present at the facility, he knew he wanted to help.

“This idea kind of grew, with a lot of help from people in recovery,” he said. “I offered my time and labor to go and do whatever needed to be done.”

He said a friend raised money to purchase supplies, along with a playset for the facility, and was amazed at the outpouring of help from volunteers from the recovery community who came together to complete the Unity House project.

Added Trani: “A project I thought would take much longer, only took three days to complete. Sometimes I would show up and there would be five volunteers, other days 12 to 20. It was amazing.”

When it comes to both his business and his life, he said he always tries to treat people right. With Trani Brothers Landscaping, he focuses on supplying designs and products that the consumer wants and takes pride in fair bids and beautiful results.

He said: “There’s this quote that always sticks with me, it’s actually from going to church when I was younger: ‘Because I have been given much, I too must give.’ When we get the chance to give back, we do.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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