Providence, RI
National Field Organizer, Recovery Voices Count Project

I’m a person in long-term recovery, meaning that I haven’t had a drink or a drug since September 6, 2003. Recovery has given me a new life, a new direction, and has helped me to find the passions in my life that were absent before I came into recovery.

Maintaining my recovery has been a constant focus, as I find new tools and resources to help me keep the life I now enjoy. I’ve been able to stay involved with activities I care about, such as writing music and participating in the political process. I was recently introduced to the growing recovery advocacy movement and had the honor of working with Faces and Voices of Recovery for the Recovery Voices Count project, which works with organizations and advocates from all levels to increase awareness of the recovery community as a political constituency.

I truly believe that the resources that were made available to me should be available to anyone. Recovery housing, mutual support groups, advocacy opportunities, and drug therapy are all a part of my recovery story. I’ll continue to fight to get help for those who need it most!

I have been fortunate to travel and expand my view of what recovery is all about. I know that millions of people in recovery are serving as productive members of society – they are those who have fought the barriers themselves, and are real human beings rather than just a statistic.

I encourage everyone in recovery to tell their recovery and success stories to anyone who will listen. The more we put a face and a voice on an issue, the more real it becomes to others.