Stories

Now I’m teaching other people how to share their story for purpose. I’m teaching them how to testify in committees. I’m teaching them how to organize in their communities.

JoAnna
My life is amazing. It's not perfect, but it's amazing because I'm no longer bound by my substances. My worst day now is a million times better than my best day before, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Kenny Matthews
I always wanted my music to help someone, and now I have that chance.

JG
I’m very transparent about what I’ve endured in life and the obstacles that I’ve overcome. I’m not ashamed of it. Everything that I’ve been through in life prepared me for who I am today and who I’m going to be.

Keira Moore Majeed
You can’t lift anybody up by putting them down because they already feel that way. They need to know they are worth it. They are worthy.

Edna
It does not matter whether someone is in active addiction or recovery or some of the bad things. They are still people. They have feelings. Whenever you give people the time and the room and the safety nets to get into recovery, most will.

Jamie
I’m still growing, but I do not fight addiction anymore. It’s been conquered in the blood of Jesus and through my testimony.

Paul Bell
Every day someone is at the point they are ready for help, and I want to be that person there to guide them, walk with them, hold their hand and be their shoulder—whatever they need, I want to be that in their life.

Lisa
I have so much freedom in my life today, and I'm genuinely happy. I'm able to be a mom. I'm able to be a friend. I'm able to be a girlfriend. I'm able to be a daughter, a sister, a niece, a granddaughter; I'm able to be all of those things today. And if it wasn't for God, and the fellowship of AA, and these steps and my sponsor and everything, I wouldn't have all of this.

Jessica S.
I've now achieved seven years in recovery and it has been a major blessing beyond anything I could've imagined when I was hopeless—drowning in despair, guilt, and shame. I began feeling peace, hope, and pure joy. The changes I experienced fueled a desire of giving hope and sharing with others the miracle of recovery that God blessed me with.

Karen Dominick
I don’t know where I’ll end up just yet, but I know it’s a good long-term goal to complete school and get my degree. The one person I got really close to in the program here showed me how important and valuable education is. It can be a tool to give back eventually, and the higher the degree I get, the more opportunities there will be to give back.

Anonymous
I think it’s very important to start working with children at a young age and start addressing certain problems, especially with mental disorders and diseases. I suffered from them when I was a kid and didn’t get them addressed; they were kind of pushed to the side.

Anonymous
It is my personal mission to be a face, voice, and light of hope for recovery every day I am on this earth. What I have discovered from this journey of recovery is how to trust in my faith, love others, love myself, and be present in the moment.

Honesty Liller
We have a lot of guys in this program, past and present, who have spent their whole lives watching people avoid them, myself included. But it’s all changed now. People want to be around us. People want to hear our stories. People want our help today.

Michael Robinette
Just by having faith and putting my all into it and doing what is uncomfortable, I’ve been able to have a life where I can help others that are also going through the same struggles as I am and have a family, and actually love my life and be happy about it.

Anna Holley
I have true friends today, like genuine friends that love and care about me.

Megen
I am a grateful recovering alcoholic and addict. That is not my identity today. Today, I'm a father. Today, I’m a husband. Today, I'm able to be a son to my mother and my father. I get to live life in a way that I’ve never been able to experience before.

Joe Young
I hope that anybody listening that's still suffering—if you need anything, reach out to me. This is what keeps me sober is by helping other people. I cannot keep what I have if I don't give it away.

Bernard Slater Jr.
My stepmom said, last week, “If you get through this quarantine thing without using, I’m really gonna start thinking that you might not.” And I was like, “Don’t say that!” She was like, “I cannot believe all the things that you have endured.” There really have been a lot, but my life is so awesome. I’ve put in a lot of work. I’ve never stopped.

Rachel Thaxton
It’s not gonna be just the recovery people that fix this or just the lawmakers that fix this. We’re gonna have to do it together. Some walls need to come down on every side of things. And spark some compassion out there, amongst all of us, and listen to each other. And then, you know, I really think we’ll come out of this.

Shanna McClure

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Now I’m teaching other people how to share their story for purpose. I’m teaching them how to testify in committees. I’m teaching them how to organize in their communities.

My life is amazing. It's not perfect, but it's amazing because I'm no longer bound by my substances. My worst day now is a million times better than my best day before, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I always wanted my music to help someone, and now I have that chance.

I’m very transparent about what I’ve endured in life and the obstacles that I’ve overcome. I’m not ashamed of it. Everything that I’ve been through in life prepared me for who I am today and who I’m going to be.

You can’t lift anybody up by putting them down because they already feel that way. They need to know they are worth it. They are worthy.

It does not matter whether someone is in active addiction or recovery or some of the bad things. They are still people. They have feelings. Whenever you give people the time and the room and the safety nets to get into recovery, most will.

I’m still growing, but I do not fight addiction anymore. It’s been conquered in the blood of Jesus and through my testimony.

Every day someone is at the point they are ready for help, and I want to be that person there to guide them, walk with them, hold their hand and be their shoulder—whatever they need, I want to be that in their life.

I think it’s very important to start working with children at a young age and start addressing certain problems, especially with mental disorders and diseases. I suffered from them when I was a kid and didn’t get them addressed; they were kind of pushed to the side.

It is my personal mission to be a face, voice, and light of hope for recovery every day I am on this earth. What I have discovered from this journey of recovery is how to trust in my faith, love others, love myself, and be present in the moment.

We have a lot of guys in this program, past and present, who have spent their whole lives watching people avoid them, myself included. But it’s all changed now. People want to be around us. People want to hear our stories. People want our help today.

Just by having faith and putting my all into it and doing what is uncomfortable, I’ve been able to have a life where I can help others that are also going through the same struggles as I am and have a family, and actually love my life and be happy about it.

I have true friends today, like genuine friends that love and care about me.

I am a grateful recovering alcoholic and addict. That is not my identity today. Today, I'm a father. Today, I’m a husband. Today, I'm able to be a son to my mother and my father. I get to live life in a way that I’ve never been able to experience before.

I hope that anybody listening that's still suffering—if you need anything, reach out to me. This is what keeps me sober is by helping other people. I cannot keep what I have if I don't give it away.

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