The support I’m getting allows me to make time to get myself back on track. Before my relapse, I worked at Turning Point, where I made the most out of my day helping other people. 

At Turning Point, they’d call me “Preacher Hank” because I always prayed for the recovery and wellness of all the people I worked with. My faith has been a beacon in my life. I’m blessed and highly favored and the support and kindness of the people around me are a reminder to keep positive.

My life before Dismas was 40 years of chaos and bad decision-making. So, when I relapsed after being clean for so long, I was hard on myself and avoided support. I went missing for 10 days on a binge. My decisions made me feel like I was outside of the reach of support. At the end of my time away, I called my mother for her words of support. I realized that I had to get help because I was so stuck on not getting it; sometimes the best thing to do is something you might not want to. I contacted my parole officer and Turning Point about the situation. They had put a warrant out for my arrest, and I was recognized by the local chief of police and was taken in. 

Once I arrived at Rutland Dismas House, I sat down in my room and thought to myself about how good it felt to be in recovery and how much it fulfilled me. I had heard a lot about what Dismas did for its residents, but experiencing the support at a Dismas House is different.

I knew who to go to for help, but it was hard for me to reach out and ask for it. My original time at the house was supposed to be 3 months. A week before Christmas, I chose to extend it closer to a year. 

In my first 3 months, I got to understand that what Dismas provides is space and time for me to get back on my feet. I’m able to focus on my mentality with less stress than if I didn’t have this space to live in. Once I reached out for support blessings came my way.