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Step Springs

Step Springs

2 days ago

“The most time I went without drinking was probably while I was asleep. If I slept.”

James recently sat down with us to share his story:

“I’ve been drinking since I was 15 years old. It started off as an after-work thing - a couple of beers, a couple of shots, and then it became an every night thing - and then an all-night thing. I started losing jobs here, losing jobs there – but I would always bounce back and find another job.

“Then last year, my little brother passed. That sent me on a spiral. I started doing more drinking, more drugging - just out of control. I lost a job and didn't really care to find another one. I ended up homeless.

“I had a couple moments where I sat there and thought to myself, ‘Damn, this is where I’ve fallen to? It can’t get any worse than this.'”

While at another program, James met Chris, our Outreach and Program Coordinator, who introduced him to Step Springs.

“I came here to Step Springs and it’s been going pretty good. I didn’t think I’d have a hundred and something days sober ever. I couldn’t go a day or a couple hours without drinking - the most time I went without drinking was probably while I was asleep. If I slept. Just looking back, I’m like, ‘Dang, I came a long way.’

“I’ve never seen anything like this [program] at all. A lot of people get bogged down with their bills and just don’t know how to manage their finances. That’s another thing that they help you with here – it’s a very helpful skill.”

James also touched on what getting his first job in the program meant to him:

“It felt great. It was a relief to say, ‘I now have a purpose. Someone is counting on me.’

"My plan is to save as much money as I can so that one day, after building my credit back, I can get a loan and own my own restaurant. Before, I had the aspirations, but I didn’t have the power to get up and make stuff happen.

“If you really want to change your life around, this is the program. You’re going to be held accountable. You’re going to have the opportunity to make your own choices. You’ll be able to rebuild who you were before you were addicted - or at least take the best parts of yourself that you didn’t get to show before and actually be that person. It’s not hard, but you have to want it. If you want to change your life around, you can’t make a better choice than Step Springs.” ... See MoreSee Less