I was given the time I needed without going into debt, worrying about bills, clothing and all the things that could hold someone back. Instead, I focused on the long-term transformation of my mind, body, and soul. When I was younger, I grew up pretty poor. We had very little and I recognized it early on and also found out there was a solution to that problem. Selling weed. I fell in love with the whole lifestyle and thought it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It wasn’t just the drug part I was addicted to, it was the money, prestige, and everything that came with it. I moved down to Arizona to help my sister build a house and ended up doing two terms in prison. After serving my first sentence, I was not prepared in the slightest to reenter society and start over. I thought it was just as simple as: 1. Get a job 2. Have a place to live. That would have been a fairly easy plan and maybe worked until a truly difficult life event happened and I had no coping skills or a support system to rely on. As I watched my girlfriend at the time roll her truck and die in my arms, I had no defense for what would come next. They were able to bring her back to life, but I went into a free spiral. The next thing I know, I am back in the court system facing a new case and another stint in prison. This time, prison saved my life. It wasn’t just going that saved me, it was the people I met that helped guide me. I was at Red Rock being a knucklehead and doing business with the stores. One of those businessmen on the yard came to me in private and asked me if the life I was living was the life I wanted. He explained that he was doing natural life and he couldn’t understand how a youngster in good health would want to keep doing things that landed them in prison. That man made a big difference in my life by giving me perspective and context for my actions. I spent the next several months in my cell getting off drugs and separating myself from people not ready for change.
Next, I started taking action. I started to hang around positive
people who also wanted to change. I started signing up for every class, every study, anything I could take to be better. I kept my feet moving and kept my spirit high. I eventually got re-classed and I stayed in this mode of self-discovery, faith, and hope for the next three years. My original release plan was to go to a faith-based program. During New Freedom’s last suspension, a friend of mine was told he could not go to New Freedom because of parole. He told them he would be willing to stay an extra 90 days in prison if it meant he could get to New Freedom. I thought that was incredibly bold and I figured if he was so passionate about it, I better check it out for myself. Miraculously, Denise became my mentor and God provided a way for me to go to New Freedom. Just another example of my behind-the-scenes angel advocating on my behalf. When I got out, I was lucky enough to spend the day with my fiancé. As we came through the doors, I had only a backpack to my name and I was incredibly nervous. I wasn’t just holding my fiancée’s hand, I was squeezing it. Someone came up to us, extended their hand, and said, “Welcome Home”. As this was occurring, I released my other hand from my fiancée. She was moved by this exchange because my entire body language shifted as I could feel the warmth of the Spirit. I was safe and I would receive the help I so badly needed. Once I got there, I grinded. I didn’t spend time by the pool or chasing women. I had one goal in mind, and that was to be prepared for the streets. Sometimes I had to advocate for myself and sometimes I had to do uncomfortable things, but it was all worth it. As a youngster in construction, I saw how the bosses acted on the job and I thought, “I want that job”. I am now a superintendent for a construction company and I love it. They have given me an opportunity, and invested in me, and in turn, I get to give them the best version of me. More than getting a new truck (which I love) I have peace and serenity in my heart. I make recovery a top priority in my life and it keeps getting better. I owe most of that
to God and the blessings He has given me but also New Freedom and the community that surrounds it. I am now proud to be a part of that community.

I let labels such as SMI, felon, or being an “inadequate mother”, run my entire life. Today, I speak to myself with the truth and the truth is that in my darkest times, I didn’t want to live. I survived to share a message with all of you that regardless of what you tell yourself, you are worth saving. I told myself these lies such as “I am not good enough” or that people “wanted me to fail”. I recall my mind being so overwhelmed with my failures as they ran on repeat internally and in a moment of self-loathing, I climbed on top of a bridge on the 60 and Country Club at about four in the morning ready to jump. The strangest thing happened… I met an Angel. Sometimes angels come in different forms than you might expect. She got me off the ledge by offering me drugs, but I survived another day. I continued hanging out with my new friend and I ended up moving to Texas with her. We were still living a homeless lifestyle in hotel rooms. Even in Texas police watch hotels for people who have warrants and I had one out of the state of Arizona. I was extradited and prepared myself to spend time in prison. I was still lying to myself, I still wasn’t ready for real change. While locked up, my mom passed away. She was the only surviving member of my family who wanted anything to do with me. Oddly, her passing felt like a weight off my shoulders had been lifted. My relationship with my mom had hurt me deeply but I felt obligated to try and appease her. I didn’t want her to go but at the same time, I felt like I could focus on myself. I felt empowered to change myself and let go of all things holding me back from being the best version of myself. I knew I had to change and become honest with myself. I attempted to start talking to myself only using facts. I knew I wanted to be happy, but I needed to take the emotions out of it. I wanted to stop wasting my time and a big part of that was that I told myself untruths about who I was and how I felt about situations. It was around this time that I got a random letter from New Freedom project asking if I wanted to participate in mentorship. I responded and a woman named Justine wrote me back. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do once I got released but I knew I wanted to be a part of something
that could help me. I had to stop letting opportunities come in front of me and not take them. I started being proactive with my time in prison. I got an electrical certification; I got my points down and moved to lower custody yards. I became a teacher’s aide for Rio Salado College and eventually participated in the second chance program. All the while keeping in contact with my mentor Justine. When I finished my last lesson, Justine asked me if I would be interested in going to New Freedom. The whole time I was writing her, I thought I was already in and going to New Freedom. I had not been accepted yet and it was completely my decision. I filled out the application and then the labels from earlier came back to haunt me again. Once parole heard “SMI”, I was denied release at NF. I wasn’t even taking psych meds any longer! I rushed and accepted whatever halfway house was available for my discharge plan. A week before my release I talked to the guy who runs the second chance program if we could ask my parole officer one last time to reconsider. He sat me down and asked a very scary question, “What are you willing to sacrifice to be in a better situation? Will you sacrifice your current release date to go to New Freedom?” I said, “Yes, whatever it takes” and later wondered what I had gotten myself into… two hours later they told me I could come to NF barring any unforeseen circumstances. I can’t imagine what kind of situation I would have been released to had I not advocated for myself. Since my release on January 30th, 2023, I graduated from New Freedom with my Peer Support Certification and I met the man of my dreams. I landed a career as a Clinical Care Coordinator for a crisis hospital. We have full benefits, life insurance, we don’t have to worry about being short on rent, I have a savings account, a vehicle, goals to buy a home, and a baby on the way! Had I not stopped living in my emotions and started being real with myself, my life would not look as it does today. Happy and satisfied. It doesn’t matter what people think of you or who you used to be, you make your own decisions. Don’t let labels define you and don’t give up on yourself!

I’m now 51 years old, a father of three grown kids and a grandfather of three. To back up a little bit and tell you the situation I found myself in, my kids moved out of the house in 2015. My wife and I became very depressed and started drinking heavily to help with the symptoms of depression. Three years and thirty hospital trips later, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver and was told that I had six months to live. I stopped drinking that day but started doing meth. I figured that since I only had 6 months to live, I might as well go out with a bang and be awake while doing it! Fast forward a year and a half of meth abuse and not dying, I chose to give up on my 30-year marriage. I stopped paying the rent and lost the house my family and I had lived in for 12 years. I ended up on the streets for ten months living in hotels and stealing every night to survive. I ended up in a 15-hour standoff with Phoenix SWAT, shots were fired, and they beat me up badly breaking four ribs, my wrist, and my ankle. I was then 45 years old and being sentenced to four years in prison for the first time in my life after losing everything. I did meth for the first month in jail and realized, “What am I doing with my life?” I decided that I no longer wanted to live in a world where I failed on a constant and regular basis. I decided to get clean on January 1st, 2018. During my time in prison, I became a chaplain’s clerk and worked an ACI job saving money for my future. During that time, I became closer to God. When I was 3 months from being released, I was told about a brand-new program called New Freedom. The chaplain and I called right away and requested an application. In January of 2021, I was released from prison and New Freedom came and picked me up and took me out to lunch. From the time I walked in, New Freedom showed me nothing but love from everyone, both staff and clients. During my time there I took every extra course that was offered including credit repair and public speaking. I started off with a 540-credit score and I’m now at a 730-credit score because of the course that I took at New Freedom. I also received my Peer Support Certification in April of 2021. I left New Freedom the first week of May and was offered a job working as a house manager and peer support a week later. I have worked as a house manager, peer support, group facilitator, and case manager. New Freedom took me in when I had no place to go. New Freedom gave me a chance when nobody else would. New Freedom gave me the opportunity to get a job working in the behavioral health field as a convicted felon with a kidnapping charge. New Freedom and the staff have given me continued support and love since my graduation in May of 2021. More
than anything, I learned I had the capacity to serve others and that was a game changer for me. I would like to take a moment to talk about something that doesn’t always get discussed in some stories. About eight months after I graduated, I was working in behavioral health as I do now. I had stopped doing many of the things I learned at New Freedom such as self-care and having a healthy balance in my life. I relapsed and was drinking a fifth a day within a week. My wife had to break into my house and make me take a drive with her so that we could figure out what to do next. I chose to check into Copper Springs and spent the next week recovering from the damage done to my mind and body. I was demoted at work and I lost the trust that was built up previously. I stayed in the field and I have earned back the trust I had lost. That story could have gone completely differently had I not accepted help or had I not been honest. People make mistakes and that is okay. Hiding them or denying them has the power to kill. New Freedom saved my life because they gave me a chance. I can’t thank Joe and Denise McDonald enough for
having the vision to start New Freedom and change the lives of so many thousands of men and women who have come through the program. I am honored to be one of them and I am excited to meet those of you reading that will be next.

I am a house manager for a nearby sober living and I figure if I can find a meaningful service commitment, then so can our residents. I didn’t set out to become a Sober Living Manager. In fact, I rejected the idea several times because it seemed like a lot of work and hassle. Turns out, that was very accurate but what I didn’t consider is how rewarding seeing other people’s success could be. I worked my entire life in carpentry, as a mechanic at a shipyard and all kinds of things that required me to be physically active. I would say I had a good life with some successes and of course some failures but it all changed when Igot into an auto accident that required numerous surgeries and long-term physical complications. At that point, I could no longer work and support myself in the same way. I filed for disability and a medical marijuana card to start the next chapter of my life. I eventually stopped smoking weed and found myself at a faith-based recovery house where I rededicated my life to Christ as a reborn Christian. I didn’t stick with it though and I started smoking again. I know for a lot of people reading this story, smoking weed may not seem that big of an issue. For me, it had the same effect as other drugs just not as dramatically. The AA Big book says, “Selfishness –self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.” At this time, I was already on probation for having a weed pipe in my car and a minor altercation with another driver. I half-heartedly reported to my probation officer by leaving messages and never talking to anyone. The next time I had police contact, I already had violated my probation and I had a stolen trailer. I was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison. When I got to jail, I immediately devoted myself to establishing my relationship with God. I picked up a Bible and began reading and attending church services. I continued this practice when I got to the yard and life began improving. I began to feel life had more meaning and that the interactions I had with other people mattered. I felt like I had a purpose as a child of God. When it came time for my release, my COIII and I began looking for places. I applied at all the usual halfway houses looking for an open bed. One place that kept coming up was called New Freedom. New Freedom hadn’t been around for very long at this time but I felt intrigued by their program. We asked about the enrollment qualifications and they said if we hurried through the mentorship
process they may be able to accept me. I soon got my first letter from my mentor as well as the lessons to complete. Luckily, I was accepted at New Freedom just in time for my release. New Freedom was the best experience I ever had with any reentry and recovery program. It was all about community. The classes, the workouts, and the advocacy are all top-shelf quality, but the friendships and comradery have stuck with me even three years later. A few months after graduating New Freedom, I was diagnosed with cancer. It was then that I relied on God the most. A big chunk of my family had been diagnosed and passed away from a variety of different cancers. In a sense, I felt defeated and surely doomed but on the other hand, there was a peace that came over me. When I gave my life to God, I meant it. If He wanted me and was ready for me to come home, I was prepared. After my bout with Chemo, the cancer was gone on the images but we could not be sure without more surgery. It was at this point that I relied on faith instead of more chemotherapy and radiation. Throughout my entire battle with cancer, I could have given up, but instead, I leveled up. I became a fulltime house manager and I continued my service commitments at New Freedom. Now every Friday when we have our house meetings, I get to share my story with the new guys in hopes they can see how service is not just a part of living at a sober living, it is a quality of success in all men and women. A spiritual principle! If you are reading this story and think that just because you’re getting older or you’re on disability or whatever issues, life will no longer be meaningful, I am here to tell you that is a lie. Yes, sometimes my body aches or I lose my spirit. I then remember my purpose… I smile, say thank you Lord, and move on to the next. That’s the miracle.

When I lost custody of my 3-year-old son because of my heroin addiction, I thought so little of myself. I gave up any hope of redeeming that loss. I ran away from the city of Chicago to Arizona in 1997. Soon, the only people I was hanging around with were drug dealers and tweakers. By 2002, I was doing a 3.5-year sentence for theft of means involving two pickup trucks. When I got out, I had not changed mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. I didn’t learn any lessons except to try harder to not get caught. The only things that did change were the year and the drug dealer I was dating… The stakes got higher now! The people I was selling for were very dangerous and allowed me to rack up an $11,000 debt. They kept giving me more drugs but now they had me on a leash. I was getting stressed and scared for my life. I started praying to God to help me find ways to pay off these drug lords. I prayed for any means necessary to get me out of this dangerous lifestyle. I knew at that moment the safest place for me would be prison. Two weeks later, that cry to God was answered. I got arrested for theft of a vehicle and
totaling the car out. I received an 8-year sentence. It took me over a year to fully kick heroin. I could never have done it alone I needed a power greater than myself. I started hanging out with people who knew the God, my God, Our God, that I barely knew. I began to set goals for myself and pray for God’s strength to meet those goals. After two years, I got the ACI job I wanted. I forgave myself for all the damage I caused to myself and others I loved. God restored my relationship with my beloved dad and HOPE was passible At that point, I was doing my time the best I could and I was ready to get out and conquer life as soon as they would let me. We prayed for early release… I planned to go to New Freedom in April of 2022, but I had not yet participated in the mentorship program. To my surprise, I was informed on June 14, 2021, that I was to be released the next day – over a year early. The requirement to be accepted to New Freedom is that you have to be enrolled in the mentorship program. I was getting ready to start the week I got released. Earlier in my sentence I made friends with a woman in the yard who got out, did amazing, and now works at New Freedom. Upon my release, she was the best resource I had and I needed to find a safe place to start my life. She and I sat and prayed before making any calls to find me a place to go. The first call (and only call) was to a wonderful woman named Jill. Within 30 minutes I had a job and a beautiful home to live in. Jill hires women from disadvantaged situations and provides sober employee housing. It is a cleaning company called All Things New. Despite every possible worldly chance for success, I still suffered from crippling fear and anxiety. I loved working at the cleaning company and I happened to be very good at it. I was quickly promoted but inside I was dying from the fear of letting everyone down. As you may know, with addicts, we can only live with, “irritable, restless, and discontent” for so long before we find external relief. I relapsed and actively attempted to take my own life through fentanyl overdose. I woke up to an ambulance and a world that would look forever different to me. At All Things New practically everyone is a New Freedom graduate. I needed a deep and meaningful spiritual revelation. I had faith I could find this at New Freedom and my roommates reached out on my behalf to Denise and the mentorship team who made it possible to become a member at New Freedom. After 30 days of inpatient rehab, I came to New Freedom on fire for recovery and God. It was there that others loved me until I could love myself. I am grateful I survived my relapse and I was able to get help. Some people don’t get that opportunity for another shot at life but God gave me one. I decided to dedicate myself with an open heart. The results are evident. I have peace, a home, a beautiful car, friends, a purpose and I love my life. I give God all the credit for placing all the wonderful people in my life. As well as New Freedom’s program that saved my life.