Meet The 2010 Delegates

• AK Anna Sappah 15 years in recovery
  

  At the age of 12, Anna started using drugs in order change the way she felt about herself. Raised by an alcoholic mother, she grew up in a life of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. She dropped out of high school and was an unwed mother at 18.

  Feeling like her life was in a downward spiral; Anna had given up one of her children and was on the verge of losing the other to state custody. She was an IV drug user and considered suicide as preferable to the life she was living. Through treatment, she was able to identify old abuse issues that had fueled her addiction and learned life skills that would help her to live and enjoy her life without the use of drugs. As a result of being in recovery, Anna has regained her family and completed her BA, graduating Cum Laude, and will soon begin her studies for a Masters in Counseling Psychology. Anna is a member of her local NA program and considers herself blessed to sponsor other women. She is the Vice Chair of the Board of the Narcotic Drug Treatment Center and has served as a beneficiary member of the Alaska Advisory Board on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse. Anna is currently the Executive Director of the Alaska Addiction Professional Association, which invites people in recovery to share their story with policy makers.

• AL Thomas Chavis 10 years in recovery
  

  Thomas began using alcohol and drugs at the age of 14. Nine years later he entered the Bradford Treatment Center, after being in an accident in a stolen car during a blackout. Thomas could not stay clean and was in treatment again two years later. Over the next 11 years he went to at least six VA Treatment Centers in Alabama and Georgia, but was unable to stay clean for more than 24 hours after discharge. He became everything he swore he would never become. Thomas describes himself at the time as "a homeless, dope shooting crackhead." He was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. In 2004 he found out that during his addiction he had also contracted HEP C. Thomas finally turned to the Yellow Pages to get clean. He opened the book and looked for what he believed to be his problem: narcotics. He went to his first Narcotics Anonymous meeting and has not used any drugs or alcohol since. Today, his family is back in his life and he is working on completing a Master's Degree in Counseling.

• AR Steve Clark 15 years in recovery
  

  Having grown up in a family of alcoholics, Steve was determined not to be one. He decided at an early age that public service would be his career choice and set a personal goal of being elected Governor of Arkansas. He vowed to work hard to achieve his goal and not drink. He took his first drink at the age of 21. He completed law school with academic achievements and an extensive list of awards and accolades. He also began to drink more. At 31 Steve was elected to serve as Arkansas Attorney General. He was elected five times, argued eight cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, and became the only Arkansan ever to be elected as the president of the National Association of Attorneys General. And the only Arkansan ever chosen as the nation's outstanding Attorney General. With his career on track, Steve began to drink heavily. He created public scenes, and passed out at a red light while driving. Despite these incidents, Steve never admitted he had a problem. He believed that he was different from his family. In 1990, shortly after he announced his run for governor, Steve was accused of misusing a state issued credit card to purchase alcohol, food and travel for personal use. After a jury trial, Steve was convicted and fined, and subsequently lost his law license, thereby ending his long-held aspirations. In 1994 Steve had his last drink. He has since regained his law license, been pardoned for his crimes, and has served as a Law Professor and President of his area Chamber of Commerce. Sobriety has given Steve love and respect from his family, friends and peers; the ability to continue to grow and learn as a person and the opportunity to give back to his community by sharing his experience, strength and hope. Steve's message for those in recovery is "whether one is battered, beaten, broken or bored you can begin again."
  

• AZ Kenny Munds 20 years in recovery
  

  Kenny spent most of his childhood in fear of his father who, by drinking on his days off work, made his family's life miserable. Living in a small town in Oklahoma, Kenny was embarrassed by this and felt inferior to others. His connections to his Church and his musical talent helped him gain acceptance and approval. He believed that he had a destiny to serve God and to become a preacher. After graduating High School, Kenny moved to California to live with his sister and her family. Kenny became deeply involved with a church whose music minister took him under his wing. However, Kenny's drinking escalated and the relationship with the minister was eventually severed. Depressed and disillusioned, Kenny began to rely more on alcohol. Kenny enrolled in a Christian college in an effort to get back on track but dropped out before graduating. He began to work in night clubs, where he discovered drugs. His drinking and drugging led to his eviction from his band, the failure of his marriage, and even led Kenny to abandon his 2 year old son. After years of chasing elusive dreams, Kenny entered rehab in 1990 and remained sober for 11 years, until he was devastated by another divorce. Kenny relocated to Arizona where he discovered Celebrate Recovery (a Christian 12-Step program) and renewed his commitment to Christ. Refreshed and renewed, Kenny began to visit jails and prisons, and out of that experience found what he describes as a "purpose growing from the wreckage of the past." Today Kenny has reconciled with his son and continues to do programs for prisons nationwide, where he carries a message of recovery. He also remains actively involved with Celebrate Recovery groups.

• CA Tracey Lee 13 years in recovery
  

  An honor student with loving supportive parents, Tracey never thought that she would become an addict hopelessly addicted to meth. In college Tracey discovered alcohol and other drugs as a means to help her stay awake, ease the pain of lost love, lose weight, and to be social. Over the next 15 years, Tracey's life slowly spiraled out of control and was characterized by bankruptcy, domestic violence, divorce, homelessness and ever-increasing chaos. Yet, it never occurred to her that drugs were the problem. Not even when her 7 year old son glared up at her with hurt and confusion and said, "Mommy I don't think you are my mommy anymore. I think there is an alien inside you." In 1997, Tracey was suicidal and on the verge of losing custody of her son. She sought help for depression and found life-saving treatment for methamphetamine addiction, thanks to an astute nurse who sent her to a chemical dependency recovery program. For the next decade, Tracey served as a leader in the recovery advocacy organization RAFT, where she helped to put a face on recovery by speaking throughout the community. She earned her Master's Degree in 2008, and currently serves as Chair of Unity Hall, a local grassroots recovery community support organization in Solano County. Today, 13 years into long-term recovery, Tracey considers her life to be a gift with enduring love, strong family connections, service, and financial stability. Her son, who is studying to be a doctor at Stanford University, calls Tracey his hero for teaching him that he can overcome any challenge and triumph over any situation. Tracey describes recovery advocacy as her passion, and says of her work, "In my efforts to reach out, I strive to offer hope, faith, and light to those still trapped in the darkness of addiction. I know that recovery is real and possible for all of us."

• CO Don Rothschild 24 years in recovery
  

  Don first recognized his drinking problem when his boss sent him to treatment. He was a successful geologist working for an oil company with a wonderful wife, two great kids, a home, two cars and a dog. Life was fantastic. But rather than sticking with the treatment program, Don quit his job and continued down a path of destruction for another decade. He went in and out of treatment, in and out of jail, got separated and divorced, lost his driving privileges, accrued $20k in debt, and was nearly homeless. At 56 years old Don began his path to recovery. He struggled to find work because of his age and lack of experience in anything other than a profession as an oil company executive. Don was trying to start a new life in the small town of Cheyenne at an age when many were thinking of retirement. He dealt with the issue of trying to find work while living in a half-way house and the associated stigma, which, in his words, "pegged him as one of ‘those' people." Don landed a string of minimum-wage jobs and eventually returned to college for a degree in Human Services. He got his debt forgiven and his driving privileges restored. He eventually found work at a detox center and became a State-certified addiction counselor. Don remarried his wife, who helped him get back on his feet. He is a member of Advocates for Recovery, helping people to find solutions to assist them in their path to recovery. His business helps implement drug-free workplace programs and he currently serves, by appointment of Denver's Mayor, on the Denver Drug Strategy Commission.
  

• CT Timothy Dunphy 20 years in recovery
  

  Tim began drinking at 12 years of age. One of seven children raised by a heavy drinking, Irish Catholic cop, he saw the disease of alcoholism ravage and kill several members of his family. As Timothy's disease progressed, he transformed from what he describes as a "nice kid from the Bronx," into someone experienced at cooking freebase over the burner of a gas stove in an apartment with very little furniture. Since recovery, Tim has been married for 14 years, completed a Bachelor of Architecture degree, become a Registered Architect, earned an M.S. Degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, earned his J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law, and been admitted to the Bar is several states.

• DC Charles Thornton 19 years in recovery
  

  In high school, Charles's life could not have looked brighter. He was a talented point guard, ranked in the top 100 in the country, with Division 1 scholarships in reach. All Charles needed to do was maintain a C average and stay out of serious trouble and he would have had his ticket out of DC's notorious 58th Street, SE, public housing project. His mother, a single parent raising six children, did the best she could. Nevertheless, the lure of the streets, with its promise of easy money, peer pressure, nightlife, alcohol and drugs were simply too much to overcome. Charles describes his younger self as, "not a bad kid, but clearly a child moving in the wrong direction." In 1979, Charles graduated from high school, enrolled in junior college, and shortly thereafter had his first introduction to the criminal justice system. This began an eleven year revolving door odyssey in which Charles found himself in and out of jail for the following offenses: simple possession, possession with intent to distribute, gun possession and violation of parole. In 1983, Charles was one of the first people to be sentenced under the mandatory minimum sentencing law, and received a three to nine year sentence for simple possession. Upon his release, Charles was released to the streets, without any real supervision and no available ex-offender reentry program. After another stint in jail Charles was again released in 1990. This time, he managed to make a change. In less than one year, he completely turned his life around, and was irreversibly moving in the right direction. He joined NA and for the past 19 years has maintained a commitment to community, family and most of all, himself.

• DE Ronald Beard 23 years in recovery
  

  Growing up bi-racial in a black community, Ron had a difficult time being the target of what he describes as, "negative comments, assaults and jokes." Ron began shooting heroin at the age of 15 upon his release from a youth detention center. He viewed drugs as a way to medicate himself. He visited the youth facility two more times by the age of 17. His addiction resulted in an extreme criminal lifestyle consisting of robbery, theft, drug dealing, and a host of violent crimes. He landed in prison several times and in five different treatment facilities. He lost jobs, careers, wives, and the respect of friends and family, including that of his beloved grandmother. He also lost his relationship with God. Ron was estranged from his children and lost his mother and grandmother before he was able to get clean. Inspired by a friend who was clean for one week, Ron began NA. Today he has a Master's degree, international and state certifications as a drug and alcohol counselor and an HIV/AIDS counselor certification. He has authored articles on addiction and treatment, wrote and produced two films on prison treatment programs and prison reentry, and trains outreach workers to address violence in urban communities. Most importantly, he has the respect of his daughters, sons and the community.

• FL Jo-Anne Stone 16 years in recovery
  

  Growing up Jo-Anne was an honor student, cheerleader, athlete and a student council member who had everything going for her. That is, until she started using drugs and alcohol. At 32, she was fired from a bartending job, had no car or license, and was being evicted from a condemned trailer. And then she got clean. Today, she defines herself as a wife, a daughter, a grandmother, and a business owner, as well as a person in recovery. In recovery she returned to school to become a Certified Addictions Professional working with others. Speaking of her life in recovery, Jo-Anne says, "I love my life, and would not trade anything I have been through because I believe that this has made me more determined to succeed and be a much better counselor as I can understand first-hand what my clients have gone through." Jo-Anne works with clients who are court ordered to treatment and has done research on how to help criminals with the disease of addiction so they do not continue to re-offend. She has shared her story with the U.S. Congress and works daily to help others get better and live honest, productive lives.

• GA Diana Pruitt 20 years in recovery
  

  Diana first used drugs at the age of 12 and was arrested for the first time a year later. By the age of 14 she was actively using multiple drugs on a daily basis. At the age of 21 she was sentenced to a state penitentiary. Upon her release from prison, Diana began her recovery. The first few years in recovery were some of the most memorable times of her life. There was only one Narcotics Anonymous meeting a day in her area and 25 other people desperately clutching onto each other. Diana describes her early recovery process as follows, "When one of us didn't show up for a meeting, we'd be calling that person after the meeting making sure they were ok and not needing help. We gave each other purpose, acceptance and love when we didn't have it in the other areas of our life. We learned how to have fun together... We all did service work together, traveled hours away to support a new NA meeting, and struggled to carry the message of recovery to those who suffered with addictions. We were each other's oxygen to live. When I cried, they cried; when I laughed, they laughed; when I grew, they grew." While some of that group died in active addiction and some committed suicide, many are in recovery today with 20+ years. Diana continues her commitment to recovery professionally. She has built several treatment programs, founded a private counseling practice and substance abuse training facility, and teaches several substance abuse courses to university students. She is also pursuing her PhD in psychology, where she is examining recovering substance abuse counselors and issues that will help recruit more of them into the field of substance abuse, corrections and mental health.

• HI Sean Spriggs 11 years in recovery
  

  Sean spent nine of his 17 years in addiction and incarceration. Because of his addiction, he lost his family, children, and home. At one point, he was one of the most wanted men in the State of Hawaii for his crimes. Sean's road to recovery began in 1999 with treatment. Sick and tired of being where he was in his life, Sean sought change. He wanted his kids back. He didn't want them to grow up without a father, as he did. He went to college because that is what he was advised to do in recovery. As he earned his certificate and degree, he also started to earn respect and trust. In 1998, Sean was the first parolee in the State of Hawaii to turn down going home to stay in prison in order to complete a one year treatment program. Two years sober, Sean was awarded custody of his children. His recovery taught him how to love again. Today he tells his mom that he loves her instead of blaming her for the way he was raised as a child. He describes his recovery philosophy as follows, "In order for you to recover you've got to surrender. You need to learn how to give before you can receive." Sean has been working in the field of substance abuse prevention/treatment for the last nine years, promoting recovery through prevention programs. He has been recognized by the Governor of the State of Hawaii for providing successful leadership in the field and for helping to change people's lives. He helped to create Waianae Men in Recovery, a one of a kind self-help program that serves primarily Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian men who are over-represented in drug treatment and in the criminal justice system. The program helps them transition back into society, assists them with getting jobs, gives them a place to stay, and gives them the skills to succeed in recovery.

• IA Patrick Coughlin 16 years in recovery
  

  Like many, Patrick's addiction started at a young age. He was in 7th grade the first time his parents sent him to treatment. What they viewed as the problem, he viewed as the solution and rejected treatment. His alcoholism and addiction progressed, and he graduated to the use of methamphetamine, cocaine, and LSD. Over the course of eight years Patrick engaged in a series of treatment programs where he failed to take advantage of the help offered. His disease raged out of control. By 1993 he had lost his parental rights and was facing 30-years in prison for drug trafficking. He had been in the psychiatric hospital twice for attempted suicide. He wanted to stop. At the age of 29, Patrick was sober, but not happy. He couldn't see his kids or pay his bills or child support. That was when his sponsor challenged him on what he was really achieving in recovery. Patrick started college, won several scholarships and an award for Outstanding Student of the Year in Composition. He ultimately earned a 4-year degree in social work with an emphasis in substance abuse counseling and graduated with honors. He secretly thought he might be a good counselor if he could ever get his act together. He ultimately did. Patrick became a substance abuse counselor and worked his way up in the field of substance abuse treatment. For the past five years he has served as the clinical director of a long term, faith-based substance abuse treatment program, working with men involved in the criminal justice system. He is also working on his Master's Degree and has a renewed relationship with his two daughters.

• ID Marsha Thomason 22 years in recovery
  

  In 1988, Marsha made a decision that changed her life completely; she entered treatment for intravenous methamphetamine drug use and alcoholism. That decision opened many doors and allowed her to turn deficits into assets, shame into esteem, guilt into accountability, and unemployability into marketable skills. Marsha had no external motivation for change. There was no judge, no probation officer, and no family members breathing down her neck. There were no partners or children suffering from her choices. Seeking treatment was the first genuine act of self-love in her life. After successfully completing treatment, Marsha entered into the world frightened, alone, and with two marketable, legal skills, which were bartending and/or cocktailing. She attended 12-step meetings and worked in a dangerous environment. Eventually, community members recognized she was sober and her behaviors were changing and she was offered other jobs. She pursued each, humble in the knowledge that she was being blessed and forgiven for the choices she'd made during her active addiction. Marsha started carrying 12 step meetings into jails, prisons, and detention facilities after one year of sobriety. After doing service work in these facilities on a regular basis, she was offered an entry-level position, which was her first foray into the addiction field. When she was four years sober Marsha took her first college class and the rest is history. She has worked with clients of diverse ethnic backgrounds, economic and social situations, and ages. She has worked in a variety of settings from remote Alaska, to correctional facilities, and a medically managed adolescent unit in a reputable hospital. She opened her own agency in 2008. She says of her current work, "I feel blessed everyday that I am allowed to sit in the presence of a person who is seeking a way out of addiction. Those are days I never saw coming 22 years ago. Recovery is possible."

• IL Pamela Frazier 21 years in recovery
  

  After more than 25 years of heroin addiction, Pamela entered recovery. She had exposed five children to drugs, been in and out of jail, and created a criminal record that prevented her from serving as a foster mother to her own grandchild. She described her first year sober as one of tears and fears. She had never been drug-free and knew nothing about being a parent. She was also dealing with displaced anger from childhood sexual abuse issues. After building a foundation in recovery and working in the field of addiction, Pamela was named the counselor of the year in 1995. In 2003 she opened The Spirit Recovery Home, where she introduced 12 women to a new way of life. In 2010, Pamela received a pardon from the Governor of Illinois for a 1971 arrest, which enabled her to work with children. Describing her feelings of finally being past this burden that haunted her, Pamela says, "tears of relief came over me, I now can tell my story that recovery works, with a commitment to be at every seminar they have on expungement, letting people know it can happen and helping them to start the process."
  

• IN Judy Bell 35 years in recovery
  

  In the winter of 1973 Judy was depressed, suicidal, hopeless, and felt insane after several psychiatric hospitalizations, where she got her supply of sedative drugs from her psychiatrists. People in her life were baffled because she was always the good kid, the family hero. Yet, once she started drinking, all her years of repressed feelings exploded. She wanted to die, and came very close to death twice when she overdosed. She says that a miracle happened when an addiction outpatient program opened in her hometown. She attended her first AA meeting, went on to a halfway house, and after two relapses, began her recovery in 1974. She credits the tough love of her family, employer, and friends for her life today. In recovery she was able to speak to her family about childhood issues and resolve them before her parents passed away. In 1975, the same woman who got her on the path to treatment offered Judy a position as a counselor-in-training at her outpatient counseling program. Judy's mission since has been to educate and advocate for those in recovery. She has started 12-step meetings, spoken to high school and college students about recovery, and worked at various treatment programs. She was in the first group of addictions counselors in Indiana to be certified as an alcohol counselor and drug counselor with Indiana Counselors Association, Alcohol, Drug Abuse (ICAADA) and also with the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). Judy has worked as an addictions counselor at every psychiatric hospital where she was formerly a patient.
  

• KS Francisco Torres 13 years in recovery
  

  Francisco was deported from Cuba to US in 1980 at the age of 19. He began drinking alcohol to deal with the stress, sadness, and cultural shock of his relocation. His addiction rapidly progressed to marijuana, hard liquor, pills, acid and eventually crack cocaine. Soon after were jail terms, homelessness, and divorce. In 1997 he was eating from trash cans and collecting cigarette butts from the ground to smoke. In an abandoned home, he prayed for the first time in his life, though he did not believe in any God. He soon found a treatment center, earned his GED, started college and ultimately earned his Masters in counseling psychology. He has run 10 full marathons and won many metals and plaques. Today he owns three homes and five vehicles. He created a program of recovery. Francisco believes that he is predestined for greatness. He says, "I don't know where I am going but, I am going!"
  

• KY Pam Scott 14 years in recovery
  

  Pam began her alcohol addiction at an early age. She believes that she came from a good middle class family that was stricken with alcoholism and uneducated about a choice. Pam became a full blown alcoholic who lost everything that meant anything to her: her home, children, employment, family, and even her health. Pam was in and out of treatment for nearly 20 years. In 1996 she'd had enough, and found her way to The Healing Place. There she was able to get sober and begin rebuilding her life. She completed the program and became a peer mentor. She discovered the purpose for her life; to remain active in twelve step recovery. She has since made peace with her sons, and now has three grandchildren. She says of her recovery, "I feel like God has given me a second chance to be a good Mom, and a good human being. My 22 year old son has just celebrated one year sober, so the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

• LA John Camp 39 years in recovery
  

  John has lived two lives. At 17, he was married and a father and also a full-blown alcoholic. He struggled with the disease for 18 years before developing what he calls "a desire to stop drinking." Until then he was in and out of AA--mostly out. Although he accepted early on that he was an alcoholic, he did not believe that the tragedies which beset others would happen to him. Yet they did. John became estranged from his first wife and four children - one of whom became involved in serious drug-related trouble and is now serving the final months of a 40 year prison sentence in Louisiana. In February, 1971, John found himself sitting on a New Orleans curbside, clinging to an empty bottle of wine and fighting the onset of delirium tremens. It wasn't until a friend brought him to a Baton Rouge halfway house, and two nights later, he attended AA with a different attitude and has been going ever since. Seven months into sobriety John founded a not-for-profit halfway house for indigent alcoholics, which has since become one of the nation's premier facilities. And as his emotional and spiritual condition improved over the years, so did his personal and professional life. He has reconciled with his children and learned how to love them. John became an investigative reporter moving from radio to television, collecting multiples of every major broadcast award for investigative reporting. After his face appeared on the cover of a leading journalism magazine that declared him the nation's best local investigative reporter, CNN came calling. He was recruited as Senior Investigative Correspondent. John retired from CNN ten years ago. His wife of 23 years is also recovering alcoholic (29 years sober). They feel fortunate to have found a remarkable life built around sobriety.
  

• MA Fernando Velazquez 13 years in recovery
  

  Fernando began using drugs and alcohol at the age of 10 and at 15 he became involved with the Barrio neighborhood gang in Ponce, PR. Because of his drug problem he was forced by his family to move to New York City where he continued what he calls, his "active" lifestyle. At 24, Fernando was arrested for possession and distribution of heroin and sentenced to Riker's Island. Upon his release and failed treatment attempt he returned to the streets and his former habits. He got involved in more serious crimes and subsequently had to move to Massachusetts because he believed his life was in danger. In Massachusetts, while continuing gang and criminal activities, Fernando was poisoned by a rival gang and, as a result had to undergo open heart surgery. He continued to struggle with substance abuse and criminal activity until 1995, when he was once again imprisoned. At state prison, Fernando began working on his recovery. After his release, Fernando was sent to a program from which he graduated and started working as a volunteer in an HIV and substance abuse program. He also began studying for a counselor certification. He continued his own recovery through NA/AA meetings, returned to full time employment, volunteering, and advocacy. Today, Fernando remains active in NA/AA and is employed full time as a Housing Support Counselor at Hope Found, Inc where he works with the chronic homeless population. His goals in life are to help people get out of addiction, lead the way to recovery and be a good father to his three children and eight beautiful granddaughters.
  

• MD Thomas McKnight 19 years in recovery
  

  Thomas started drinking at the age of 12 and became an alcoholic by the age of 16. Alcohol was his drug of choice because it was easy to get. Before his 21st birthday, he had four DUIs. Shortly thereafter his wife began to realize Thomas had a severe drinking problem. When she had had enough she threw her ring at him and said, "I will not marry a drunk." Thomas has not had a drink since. Being a recovering alcoholic means the world to him and his two daughters. He explains, "They are very proud of me and they like it when other students come up to them after hearing my presentation. ‘That's right, that's my dad.'" Thomas carries his 19 year medallion every day and is very proud to show it off. He has gained the respect in his hometown and the surrounding communities by the pure fact of not being ashamed to admit that he is an alcoholic. Thomas works closely with the local Sheriff's Department. His dream is to present to every high school in the state, as well as the country. Thomas works with driver's education courses, and after each class at least half the class sends a Facebook request asking Thomas to be their friend. Thomas explains, "It means more to me than words can say; hearing or reading a post that someone has posted about me and what I do. I know I can't save them all, but if I can reach just one, then I have done what I set out to do."
  

• ME Lynn Avigo 21 years in recovery
  

  Lynn was 32 years old when her addictions began affecting her life problematically. She had two young children and a marriage that was falling apart. She always thought that their marital problems were her husband's fault because he had a problem with drinking. Eventually, Lynn lost her marriage and children. It was the pain of losing something dear to her heart that made her fall on her knees and surrender to get sober and that is what she did. Lynn sought help from two individuals who were members of Alcoholics Anonymous who introduced her to the 12-steps of AA. She's been sober ever since. She has a new life and a new meaning of life. She has regained closeness with her children. They talk about everything and anything. They laugh, cry, have ups and downs, fun times, and hard times, but, they stay together and know the meaning of family. That is what recovery has done for them. Lynn is known in the community as a strong woman for recovery. She'll speak when others will shy away and go to places where it's dirty and dingy to help the alcoholic/addict. She'll wash their feet, clip their toenails, put on fresh socks, and give them water when they are thirsty. Lynn says, "I've always said that many things have been taken away from me and that I have given many things away, but, one thing that no one can take from me unless I willingly give it away is my precious sobriety!"
  

• MI Caesar Seay 16 years in recovery
  

  Caesar was raised by his mother in a single parent home with five sisters. His family did not have much money. His mother, an alcoholic, did not work and his father was not in the home. They were often without basic necessities such as electricity and gas. The children helped themselves to the alcohol that was in the home. Always moving, Caesar learned not to become attached to people, places and things. He cherished the few moments of closeness he found. He fondly remembers a neighbor named Ms. Thompson who spent time with him and gave him a puppy. He says of the relationship and gift, "I needed to feel a part of and close to somebody or something because I never felt close to my mother. I named the puppy Lucky and he became my best friend." At the age of nine Caesar's mother died and he entered foster care without his sisters. He left foster care at the age of 17, dropped out of school and began to use drugs. He later joined the service to escape. There he was arrested and charged with several drugs cases, ending his military career. Caesar returned to the streets and became involved with using and other drug activities. After using crack in the 80's Caesar's downward spiral of active addiction did not take long. His social values and norms were destroyed. He did not have any interest in self preservation and his mental deterioration was rapid. He had gone to an animal level of living: soup kitchens, shelters, donations to blood banks, abandoned houses, vacant cars, drug-related crimes and living on the streets. This continued for the next 15 years at which point he was introduced to a 12 step program. Caesar got into recovery in 1994 and has never looked back. He has learned to become responsible for himself and become a productive member of society. His own personal dreams and aspirations are to return to school and get a degree in education. He says, "I have learned that recovery is possible and that it is my responsibility to share this gift with others."
  

• MN Deborah Moses 30 years in recovery
  

  Deborah entered treatment in 1979. She was being investigated for the crimes she committed to sustain her addiction. After treatment, she went back to school and obtained her Bachelor's degree, along with a chemical dependency competence certificate. She gave birth to her oldest son and solidified her commitment to recovery. She felt that it was important to give him a different life. Deborah went on to obtain a Master's Degree in Public Health and is completing her Doctorate in Public Administration. She works to provide recovery services in the most state of the art manner possible, rather then what worked for her 30 years ago. She says of her recovery, "The biggest point I want to make about recovery is that it is not an event but an ongoing process that doesn't always go well. I've made a lot of mistakes over the past 30 years but have done a lot of things right as well. My best decisions were about staying off drugs and earning my education. My best accomplishment was raising three children with no involvement or introduction to the drug and criminal world I had spent so much time in. Recovery doesn't change the world around us, it just makes us better and stronger people with a better chance of getting through the hardships life hands us, as well as having a much better time enjoying the pleasures."

• MO Farris Robertson 25 years in recovery
  

  Farris grew up in a Mexican-American ghetto, where, he says, drugs and drinking were a common way of life. His father died when he was ten years old and, influenced by his older brothers, Farris began drinking at 14 and taking drugs shortly thereafter. At the age of 20, after several serious bouts with the law, Farris attended his first recovery meeting. For the next nine years, while on probation or parole, Farris struggled to stay clean and sober. At age 31, after two weeks straight, Farris climbed out of bed, sat on his hands and knees and whispered aloud, "God help me. I'm an alcoholic," meaning it for the first time, since he began attending meetings 11 years prior. He has not had a drink since. After decades of working as a volunteer in the recovery community and within various jails and prison systems, Farris founded Recovery Chapel in 2004. Today they operate nine recovery houses in Springfield, Missouri. The Chapel hosts 50 people in their process of recovery and reentry into the community. The organization has transformed a burned-out meth house and rebuilt it using unemployed men. Through the Honest Days Work initiative participants provide lawn service, roofing, construction and other services for hire. They own a farm and have started a community garden. They host recovery meetings out of their operations center, the Soul Café, which is visited by 250 people a week. Farris reminds us that "One act of steadfast courage in staying clean and sober really does help change the world!"
  

• MS Michael Amsden 10 years in recovery
  

  Michael's addiction began at the age of 15 and went on to progress to the age of 42. He did not come from a broken home and spent no time in jail. He was always blessed to be able to have a family, a home and occupation. He began drinking because he took a drink of alcohol and got a feeling that he liked. He then chased that feeling for the next 25 years, never caring what he did to get the drink or drug that he felt he needed. He got married at 23 and had children. He says that he then "spent the next 20 years making their lives at times a pure nightmare." He drank and drugged and disregarded them but, they were always there for him. He always felt that he was not hurting anyone and did not feel what he was doing was wrong. Things changed when he turned 40. He was given some alcohol by a friend and got drunk on his birthday. Unfortunately, his family had made different plans, decorating the house and baking a cake. He was too intoxicated to even know it. His marriage deteriorated over the next two years and his drinking escalated. His life was falling apart. The breaking point was the day that he blamed his daughter for his failing marriage, telling her that she did not have to be his daughter, he did not have to be her father, and she could change her last name. Michael has not had a drink or drug since. Michael entered treatment and then lived in a halfway house. He started attending meetings. He did not get his marriage back but did get his family back, restoring his relations with his daughter. Michael is deeply involved with Celebrate Recovery and works to carry the message that there is fun without drinking and drugging.

• MT Tim Anderson 30 years in recovery
  

  Growing up, Tim swore he would never be like his father, a man who, when intoxicated, would rant and rave and cause people to flee. Tim began drinking regularly in the 7th grade and got intoxicated on Friday and Saturday nights. By high school he was drinking three to four times a week. When people confronted him about his drinking he would deny the problem and avoid the person, even his sister, for months. One night, while drinking with his friend, his drinking buddy told him that he was going to end up like his alcoholic father. He angrily retorted that he was not like his father who was drunk every day and that he only drank on weekends and bowling nights. The friend then asked what he'd be like in 20 years. Tim credits that night as a turning point, as every time he'd wake up after a night of heavy drinking the thought would plague his mind. That's when he began to try to control his use. He soon after met his wife, who on their wedding day asked him not to drink. He agreed but had two drinks while she wasn't looking. He couldn't help thinking that he could have ruined his marriage and realized he wasn't going to be like his father, he already was! At the same time his little brother was sent to treatment. Six months later, confronted by his family, Tim entered treatment. After a year of turmoil he entered an intensive outpatient treatment program and got involved in working a recovery program. He was motivated out of gratitude to help other people with addictions through his profession. In the next few years, Tim's mother, father, two brothers and brother-in-law all got sober.

• NC Sharry Spencer 10 years in recovery
  

  Sharry was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol for fifteen long years. Her drug addiction started when her son was 12 years old, and her relationship with him and her family was severed for many years. She worked in the corporate environment for fifteen years, and at the peak of her addiction lost jobs, became homeless, and just didn't care. As a recovered addict, the first year was Sharry's hardest. It took her two years to restore most of what she'd lost during her addiction, not material gain, but her family. Today, she is now a thriving part of the community, saved, clean and sober. She is a member of her church choir and is the church secretary. She is what she calls a "real" mother and grandmother to her son and three granddaughters, and caretaker and best friend to her mother who is 86-years-old with breast cancer. Sharry speaks to various groups and in churches about the experiences that led to her recovery and plays an instrumental part in the development of a drug awareness and early prevention program for teens and pre-teens in her church.

• ND Clayton Maier, Jr. 24 years in recovery
  

  Clayton describes his addiction as being much like everyone else's. He grew up being very familiar with addiction and recovery. At the age of 19, he realized that his addiction had swallowed his very being. He had become the very person that he'd learned to despise. Clayton made the decision to either end his life, or seek help from the recovery community. Thankfully, he was able to find the help he needed to get his life moving in the right direction. Clayton eventually became a member of a 12 step support group, and currently sponsors other recovering addicts. His wife and kids have never seen him using, and he is grateful for that on a daily basis. The only person they know is the person they see today. He is a professional in the community, and is employed as a police officer. He promotes recovery on a daily basis in his career field. He deals with addicts everyday on the street, and tries, as much as possible, to provide assistance where and when appropriate. Clayton carries the message of recovery proudly everyday. He shows his family and community, by the way in which he lives his life everyday, that we do recover. Clayton's father and two older brothers are also in successful long-term recovery.
  

• NE Pam Handy 23 years in recovery
  

  In the 23 years since her last drink, Pam has survived cancer and been diagnosed as Bipolar and with Multiple Sclerosis. Her early recovery was an uphill battle, as changing social groups required distancing herself from some of her family, leaving a 20 year job and getting a divorce. Yet, she held on to her newly discovered and growing spiritual beliefs. She says, "If we don't change, we don't grow; If we don't grow we are not living". The support of her new community, her mother and two sons helped her to be grateful for her life. Mostly it was the hope of being able to give her sons a healthy loving mom, something they deserved and had missed out on because of her alcoholism. Pam had been given a second chance at life. She treasures this life and became focused on giving back. Pam shares her story, and the story of her family, with hundreds of individuals in early recovery through a presentation called Effects on Children. She is passionate about sharing her story because she knows how others offered her hope by sharing theirs. She has worked for 22 years at the treatment center where she received help. She is reminded everyday of the gift of life she has been given, and how blessed she is to witness the blooming as folks begin to respond by opening up to the beauty of life in recovery.

• NH David Chmielecki 14 years in recovery
  

  David was first hospitalized at 13 for what therapists thought was depression. He was later hospitalized two more times for suicidal acts and the second time he assaulted a nurse. When David entered college he discovered drinking. He attempted suicide again because of a relationship breakup and was threatened expulsion if it happened again. He turned to alcohol to slow down his thoughts and temper his violent mood swings. He felt less depressed, as the alcohol's effect made him feel that he didn't care about things or people. David left college and entered jobs in construction where he could drink. He was kicked off a few job sites. His friends left him, relationships broke up and he had encounters with the police. He finally found himself on the street. All the symptoms of depression came back along with withdrawal symptoms. This is when he went back into counseling, and got on medication that helps regulate his moods. Today he has a job he loves, that of a therapist, and lives peacefully in a small town with his girlfriend. He is a triathlete, a marathoner, and a cyclist. He has made amends to family, to the IRS and to his creditors. He still gets depressed and overwhelmed once in a while, but he says, "That's life". He copes. Recovery to David is about resilience and faith. He says, "It's getting back what you once lost and working for goals you once thought impossible."

• NJ Bernice Connors 22 years in recovery
  

  Twenty two years ago, Bernice was faced with a decision. She couldn't keep living the way she was, feeling hopeless and despondent every day. She was either going to get help or end it all. She decided to give 12-step programs a try. She sat at her first meeting and identified with the feelings she heard and cried. At the meeting, the attendants said "welcome home" and she knew for the first time that she finally found her place. She felt that she was somewhere where people really might understand the insanity of what was going on in her mind. She kept going back. She says that she was too arrogant to ask for help or go to a treatment center. Soon the people in the rooms became the family she never had. She healed deep wounds with beautiful people who today are her family of choice. And today she has a new relationship with her birth family. She has learned things like unconditional love and the true meaning of grace. She is happily married, has a fabulous daughter and a life she never dreamed possible. She credits Kim, the friend who took her to her first meeting, with saving her life. She is now dedicated to other's recovery. She says, "I think, as long as there's a breath in your body, there's hope. And where there's hope, there's a miracle about to happen. I believe in miracles, I see them all the time, all around me. We just need to support and nourish them. There's no shame or stigma in being sick. This is a brain-based disease. I was told welcome home, we need to keep welcoming people home. We need to give people hope and let the miracle of recovery happen."

• NM Krystal Lucero 10 years in recovery
  

  Krystal's addiction began as a teenager with the use of marijuana and then alcohol. Eventually she found crystal meth. Her meth addiction took everything she ever loved away and turned her into what she calls an "awful person". Her addiction was all she cared about. Her only concerns were getting the drug, using the drug, and trying to maintain a steady supply by any means possible. During her use, Krystal's grandfather, who was a very important person within her tribal community, passed away. Her addiction didn't allow her to grieve his death properly or to be there for her family. When she decided to quit it wasn't because she had a wonderful revelation about recovery. It was simply because she had no more drugs and could not find any more. So she got clean and stayed sober. She was not going to let anything get in the way of recovery. Krystal describes her recovery as a beautiful and wonderful blessing. It has allowed her to have an incredible son, life, education, and job. Her recovery also means that she is a role model in her community and in her family. Addiction is something that she believes is destroying her tribe, and today she is fighting against it. She works as a mental health and addictions counselor, providing services to the members of the Isleta Pueblo Native American Community. She is proud to be one of the youngest people in many of the recovery organizations that she works with and to be a full blooded Native American.

• NV Lisa Dove 25 years in recovery
  

  Lisa started smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol at a young age. By the age of 15 she was shooting heroin. It was the escape she so desperately sought. She did anything to stay high and was arrested for forgery. In 1983, she went into an inpatient treatment program and her probation officer gave her the choice of getting clean or going to jail. She would stay clean for thirty, sixty, and close to ninety days and then use again. She was caught in this hopeless circle until her probation officer took her back to court for violation of her probation. She'll never forget what the judge said to her back then. He said, "People like you don't stay clean and sober. People like you die with a needle in their arm." Lisa was angry and humiliated. She went back to meetings and started to count days again. When she got to ninety days, she was petrified because she had never gotten past ninety days. At one year she was ecstatic. She couldn't believe it. People like her could stay clean and in recovery! In her recovery Lisa confronted a lot of challenges. Ten years into recovery she moved to Las Vegas and stopped going to meetings as she worked on getting her husband clean. She moved further away from her program and was ultimately arrested and sentenced to federal prison. She stayed clean through her arrest and prison term. She returned to school and got her GED. She made amends with her mother three days before her death from cancer. On staying clean she says, "I know that staying clean isn't always easy, but I know it has to come first. I have a wonderful life today. I am truly grateful to the program of Narcotics Anonymous because it has given me back my life." Lisa sponsors women and loves to watch them grow and change as they travel their own road of recovery. She is becoming the woman she always dreamed of becoming.
  

• NY Mary Ann Maikish 22 years in recovery
  

  Mary Ann describes her past self as "a Woodstock garbage head hippie and a martini alcoholic who was tied up in knots, paralyzed emotionally by fears, full of secrets and longing for oblivion." She also calls herself "a high functioning (on the outside) addict" who worked her way through college in the evenings, using lots of marijuana and LSD along the way. At 35 years old, she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy girl, having stayed free of any mind or mood altering drugs during her pregnancy. She raised her daughter as a single parent with a lot of help from family, friends and community. Mary Ann stayed clean for the first five years of her daughter's life, but, with no program or support system, she began to drink again. Over five years she drank progressively more and more, blacking out every night and roaming around the neighborhood in her nightgown, but always getting up in the morning to take care of her daughter and go to work. She continued to do well at work and received promotions. All her externals were in place: a good job, a beautiful, healthy child and a loving family, but she was in total denial. In 1988, her family had an intervention using her daughter as leverage, which resulted in detoxification, inpatient rehabilitation, therapy and a twelve step program. Mary Ann acquired the tools of sobriety that she uses every day. Today, she volunteers at the Stuyvesant Square Rehabilitation Program at Beth Israel Hospital and she has a certificate in Alcoholism Counseling.

• OH Robert "Bobby" Ringle 22 years in recovery
  

  Bobby began using alcohol and drugs at the age of 10 as a way to get attention and fit in. Alcohol and drugs made him feel accepted and gave him a false sense of belonging. He started with beer, a six-pack over the weekend or during the week. This progressed to at least a case of beer while consuming hard alcohol and marijuana. He had his first taste of cocaine and some other hard-core drugs during his first year at college. His family had no idea of his involvement with the drugs, until one day when his mother found drugs in his clothes. Bobby was given the choice of going to NA or being kicked out of the house. He would pretend to go to meetings but instead met up with friends for a night of partying. By 1987 Bobby had had enough of the stealing, the drinking, the drugs, the lying to people, especially to his family. He realized that he was hurting the one person that mattered the most - himself. A friend urged him to seek the help of his family. His first reaction was that he could not ask his family for help when he'd been telling them things were fine. He entered treatment and later a halfway house, and slowly began his recovery and treatment. Deaf himself, today, he is actively involved with Deaf off Drugs and Alcohol (DODA), a grant-funded project to improve alcohol and drug treatment services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Bobby is a preacher dedicated to helping others improve their quality of life. He's learned that turning to the bottle is not the way of relief, escape or avoidance. He says, "We just need to learn to ask for help, learn not to be afraid to ask for help." He believes that people can't change what they did or who they are but they can change what they will do or who they become.

• OK Jack Sinclair 28 years in recovery
  

  Recovery has given Jack a new life and has kept his family together. He has been married for 40 years, has raised three great and well educated children and now is blessed with four grandchildren. Jack is very active in promoting recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. He was so impressed with the success of his AA youth group that he made a film about youth recovery from addiction. The documentary "12" is the story of 20 people that got sober as teens and now have many years of continuous sobriety. In the film youth talk to other youth, thereby spreading the word that recovery is possible and giving a sense of hope to those still struggling with this disease. This video is being used in prevention, treatment centers, drug courts and by faith based ministries.

• OR Robert Jasperson 23 years in recovery
  

  Most kids graduating from the eighth grade in 1960 would probably celebrate with their families with barbecues, cakes, and afternoon matinees. Robert ran with an older crowd who bought cases of beer. After drinking five quarts he experienced his first blackout. Although he vomited and was curled up in a sleeping bag for days, he knew he liked alcohol. Robert worked hard through high school but managed to find time to drink every weekend. Military, college, construction jobs, bartending jobs, marriage, kids, divorce, everything in his life was centered on drinking. He found a way to blame everyone but himself for his failures. When Robert's second marriage was coming to a screeching halt he finally looked at himself and realized that he was the problem and that his drinking was always, what he calls, his "best friend." Robert entered a residential program in 1987. He claims his sober birthday as the beginning of his life. His son Michael asked him if he'll ever be a recovered alcoholic, and his answer was, "Yes...when I take my last breath." Robert says of his years in addiction, "There is no way of knowing the damaging effects of our addiction on our families and friends until we change. It is a selfish disease, and it's just you and your drugs of choice." Robert has been with his wife Diane for 35 years. He's gotten rid of the shame and guilt from the first 13 years, during which he says he "put her through hell with drinking, lies and deceit." As a counselor at Adapt Counseling and Treatment Services, he tries to help his clients set the best example they can for their families. He says, "We need their love and trust. Write a better personal code of ethics you want to follow for the rest of your sober life. This is what recovery means to me."

• PA Mary Lou Digrugilliers 20 years in recovery
  

  
  Mary Lou has been in recovery for 20 years. She is a successful business woman in the private sector where she has been employed for 30 years. Her greatest accomplishment in recovery is being a mother and grandmother. She is an asset to her family as a result of recovery and no longer an embarrassment. She enjoys working in the community with newcomers and helping them get and stay clean. She has been involved with the RASE Project, which provides a safe environment for women, for 15 years.

• RI Carrie Blake 20 years in recovery
  

  Carrie's addiction began in her pre-teens and the progression of the disease was quick and devastating. By the time she was 16 she was using on a daily basis. She felt that she could survive the car accidents, empty bank accounts, and the visits to jail. It was the way her mother looked at her, her baby who was throwing everything away, that was her impetus to change. Carrie knew she was supposed to do more with her life, but she experienced helplessness every time she tried to stop using. She tried with all her heart to pull it together, only to fail, time and time again. Carrie was finally able to achieve recovery through a 12 step program in 1989. She entered recovery a broken human being. At 23 she was worn out and life had lost all meaning. Looking back now it saddens her to think of that girl so lost and tired at such a young age, but that girl has now become her inspiration. Carrie has discovered that the most important things in life are those that you cannot see: the love of family and friends, a sense of justice, standing up for what you believe in, even when it's not popular. She says, "Recovery has given me a voice. Advocacy has given me a forum. Getting involved with recovery organizations gives me a place to put my passion." Carrie says that she will work for change as long as she has to: for her daughter, for someone else's daughter, for the girl she once was.

• SC James Wilson 26 years in recovery
  

  James is the son and grandson of alcoholics. His own addiction has helped him understand that his father was doing the best he could, but was not graced with recovery. James believes that recovery is a gift and that as part of that gift it is his responsibility to reach out to his community with the message that recovery is a reality. He drank and used many different drugs from the age of 14 to 34. He put himself and his family and friends through a great deal of pain and sorrow. James finally lost his business, his friends and family. They did not abandon him. He abandoned them. He's been in recovery since 1984 and since that time has graduated from college, obtained a Masters degree in counseling and a graduate certificate in alcohol and drug studies. He has worked in the addiction field for the last 24 years, in direct services and administration. James was awarded the Counselor of the Year Award by the South Carolina Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors. He is the single parent of a 15 year old son, who has grown up with the love of the recovering community. His hope is that his son will know a great deal more about recovery that he does about addiction.

• SD Brooke Beckham 11 years in recovery
  

  Brooke started drinking when she was 13 years old and by the time she turned 27, had been in juvenile placement centers, on probation, obtained five DUIs, been incarcerated on four separate occasions, and gave birth to a beautiful little girl. She found herself sitting in a holding cell, once again, thinking about a 4 year old daughter who didn't get asked to be left behind by her mother. This was Brooke's moment of clarity, where she could continue on this destructive path, lose everything that was important to her, including her life, or she could accept the fact that she was an alcoholic and an addict and take responsibility for her recovery, her life and her daughter. Brooke stopped attempting to be sober and started to learn how to live in recovery. She says that it has been a wonderful, beautiful and powerful journey. She has experienced a tremendous amount of pain and experienced many consequences. She walked through the shame, guilt and remorse that result from using drugs and alcohol and emerged a person who is loved, proud and grateful to have walked that path. Hope and faith fill her life where despair once resided. Being clean and sober allows her to carry the message of recovery, what she calls "the amazing journey to the center of self,", helping people find their whole being, while healing part of herself with every story. She has rebuilt relationships, gone back to school and is currently working on her Doctorate. She is living a life she never dreamt of when using drugs. Brooke currently works for the South Dakota Department of Human Services as a Mental Health therapist in a maximum security prison.

• TN Melinda Mendez-Scott 12 years in recovery
  

  The baby of the family, Melinda was always alone and learned to play by herself. She was awkward, uncertain, and self-conscious. She never felt good enough. It didn't matter how many A's she got or awards she won, she still felt like it was not enough. As Melinda grew older, her friends experimented with marijuana. She wanted to fit in, so she smoked too. She found peace of mind. She fit in. After high school, Melinda got married. She continued to drink and smoke pot, but hated being out of control, so never went overboard. By 24, she was a mother, but unhappy. A friend turned her onto cocaine. Slowly, her use progressed to once a month, then bi-weekly, then weekly, then daily. She always drank when she used, and finally became addicted. It just happened. One day Melinda was a nice middle class mom, a teacher with two kids and a husband; the next, she was separated from her family, living with a friend, and dating a man everyone said was no good for her. It was a rollercoaster lifestyle and she began to smoke crack. The first hit was all it took. Melinda couldn't get enough. Out of fear for her job, she went to treatment but was kicked out for being resistant. Melinda's life was out of control. She pawned everything, became promiscuous, and was chased nine miles by three Police Departments and a helicopter while on a drug run. She was forced to resign from her job as a result. Finally, she'd had enough. Melinda went to treatment and maintained sobriety for 93 days before relapsing. She turned to her mother for help and detoxed at home. Melinda went to meetings and found a sponsor. She hasn't lived a perfect life in recovery, but she sees life as a learning experience. She sponsor others, has reconnected with her family, remarried, and changed careers. She dedicates her life to helping the others in early stages of recovery.
  

• TX Lori Kay 23 years in recovery
  

  In 1975, when she was 10 years old, Lori joined Alateen when her mother began recovery. She later transitioned to Adult Children of Alcoholics. When it came to alcoholism, she swore it would never happen to her, and then it did. By the end of her drinking days, Lori wanted to die daily and had lost all belief in anything good. Due to the fact that she had watched so many others recover in AA via her mother's recovery, she knew what to do and began her own recovery in 12-step programs. In early recovery, after completing a Master's Degree in Social Work, she worked as a clinical social worker in the addictions unit of a Psychiatric Hospital. She continued for a dozen years as an addictions therapist. She completed her Ph.D. in Social Work ten years ago and began working as a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She has been awarded a number of teaching and research awards and last year she was promoted to the position of Assistant Dean in the UT Austin School of Social Work. Today, Lori is happily married, a good mother, a trustworthy friend, and laughs daily. She has been transformed from what she describes as a fear-based, insecure woman with a profoundly warped sense of self to being the confident, comfortable, powerful, loving, connected person she is today. She has committed herself to providing services to young adults with substance problems and dependence. She continues to do research in the area of culturally grounded substance abuse prevention programs for high risk adolescents and promotes programs for young people and students in recovery.

• UT Shanin Rapp 10 years in recovery
  

  Shanin was adopted at birth, born to a drug-addicted mother who was only 14 years old. She grew up feeling like her adopted parents favored her sisters, their natural-born children. She was abused both physically and sexually by family members. At 12, she had already tried sipping alcohol a tiny bit here and there. At 14, she drank a fifth of vodka in under 10 minutes and her heart stopped. Fortunately she was in school and was revived through CPR. Shanin began drinking on the weekends and sneaking out to smoke cigarettes. That behavior continued through high school. She was kicked out of her home at 17 and felt responsible for her parents' divorce. She lived with friends after that and started experimenting with different kinds of drugs. At 18, she started working in a strip club and did that for the next 12 years. She feels that she never really needed any hard drugs and could go long periods without anything, until she was introduced to crack cocaine at 28. She describes it as "love at first use." In two short years Shanin destroyed everything dear to her. She willingly gave up her son to her sister, lost her house, and her marriage. She nearly died from kidney issues. Shanin awoke on her 30th birthday in a strange hospital and realized that she didn't want to die. She started working hard to get back her son and get help. She entered treatment and a halfway house where she rebuilt her life. She worked hard in order to earn guardianship of her son back. She knows the struggles of picking up the pieces, and rebuilding. She knows that these experiences have brought her to a deeper understanding of herself and her life. She has no regrets. She has a beautiful relationship with her son, a wonderful daughter and renewed relationships with her family. Shanin is committed to recovery from alcohol and other drug problems and has worked in various capacities in treatment. Today she teaches relapse prevention, speaker advocacy, and is invested in implementing system transformation in Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care. She feels rewarded by helping people to create change in their lives, find realistic coping skills, and create healthy support systems in their recovery.

• VA Nancy Spratley 25 years in recovery
  

  At the age of 23, two years into her marriage and with a daughter, Nancy was unhappy and left her husband. Thinking that pot might make her happy, she gave the drug a try and decided that she no longer needed a husband as she had found her new best friend— marijuana. She began smoking regularly and experimenting with other drugs. Eventually she was using cocaine and heroin, and taking diet, nerve and pain pills. In 1985 she sought treatment and entered the Chemical Dependency Unit of a psychiatric hospital. She went to her first meeting and identified with the feelings of those speaking. She felt a lot of hope for herself. As a person in recovery Nancy has had many opportunities to give back through her work in mentoring teens, managing recovery houses and sponsoring women as they journey through the steps of N.A. She is no longer ashamed of what she's done. She's made amends and continues to grow and change for the better.
  

• VT Nancy Bassett 10 years in recovery
  

  Recovery changed Nancy's life. She regained the respect of her family and her community. Experimenting with drugs in what she calls the "hippie era" turned into an addiction that ruled her life. A federal drug charge and the loss of her husband of 30 years to a heroin overdose led her to realize it was time to make a change. Nancy's personal path to recovery showed her that relating her experiences to others in recovery or trying to find recovery, was a benefit not only to herself, but also to the people who were hearing her story. Nancy's goal is to offer support, information and referrals to anyone that comes to her for help. She is committed to making her community, state and country realize that recovery is possible, while at the same time advocating for recovery centers, supportive transitional housing and recovery support services. Leading by her own power of example, she is able to watch her peers gain empowerment and self esteem by advocating for themselves and others.

• WA Patty Katz 10 years in recovery
  

  Patty is in long-term recovery from what she once thought was a hopeless state of mind and body. Her addiction led her to abandon her family and end up in prison. Nothing seemed to work for her until she reached out for peer support, asked someone to mentor her and worked through the twelve steps of recovery. With a criminal history, no driver's license and a spotty rental history, Patty didn't know where to begin. She realized that she needed a safe place to sleep, thrive and grow. She found transitional housing with case management, entered a cognitive behavioral change program, attended 12-step meetings and volunteered at a homeless shelter while seeking employment. She eventually got a paying job, gained back her license and continued putting one foot in front of the other. Patty decided to put her energy to use for the common good of people seeking recovery. Nine years ago, she joined 200 friends on a bridge at sunrise to honor National Recovery Month and give thanks that they were no longer under the bridge shooting dope. Each year they stand in solidarity across the Interstate 5 Bridge between Oregon and Washington with greater numbers of people joining them each year. Almost 3,000 came out to celebrate recovery last year! As a leader in her community, Patty has been able to mentor others into reclaiming recovery by sharing stories, speaking to the media, attending lobby days and talking about the fact that recovery is real and communities heal. Her career enables her to affect public policy change, dismantling barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated people, teaching people how to tell their story in a powerful and effective way, and helping to humanize the people re-entering their community with felony convictions. She is reunited with the family she abandoned, and has a rapport with her daughter that she says is more than any mother could hope.

• WI David Macmaster 53 years in recovery
  

  David entered recovery in 1956 at the age of 21 and has been active ever since in both recovery support groups and addiction prevention and treatment. His father was in recovery from alcoholism for 22 years and his son is now in recovery after spending four years in prison for drug-related crimes. Recovery has saved the lives of three generations of David's family. David was the founding director of Substance Abuse Services for Clayton County, Iowa. That program has helped people with substance abuse disorders to get the help they need, supported families and provided comprehensive intervention and prevention services. The program continues for nearly 30 years. Today, David is working on tobacco/nicotine dependence, a disease that killed both of his parents. He created the nicotine integration resolution (now national tobacco policy) that encourages policies that lead to the integration of evidence-based nicotine treatment into the nation's addiction and mental health services. His effort is to get addiction and mental health services to include tobacco as a drug of concern equal to alcohol and drug addiction. His home state will be the first to achieve nicotine treatment integration in both addiction and mental health programs.
  

• WV Stephen Dickerson 10 years in recovery
  

  Stephen's addiction got very bad quickly. It led him to do things he swore he never would do. It caused him to make decisions that hurt everyone who had the misfortune of caring about him. It didn't take him long to hit bottom from the first time he ever took his first hit of marijuana at fourteen to being in his fourth treatment center, as an IV drug user, who had a total of $0.16, two pair of pants, and three shirts at age 20. Stephen used as hard as he could for as long as he could. He lied, cheated, and in his words "hurt anyone and everything that got in his way". He was sick and he was addicted. Recovery gave Stephen back his life. He says, "It has taken me from that scum bag that was in rehab, without anything, to a man who has everything I could have never imagined existed." Stephen went back to school three times, earning his GED, BA and MS in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. He has a wonderful wife and two boys. He has a job where he gets to wake up and try his hardest to help youth get a sense of direction in their lives. He has love for and from many. Recovery has given Stephen a perception of life that he would not have gotten any other way.
  

• WY Rod Robinson 32 years in recovery
  

  Growing up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in southeastern MT, Rod experienced poverty, alcoholism and drug addiction at an early age. His father was what he calls "an angry drunk." His family lived in a one room shack. The outhouse was 300 yards away, and the only running water was a quarter-mile away at the community pump. Drugs were his way out. By age 11, Rod was huffing inhalants and drinking whatever he could get his hands on. He suffered blackouts almost immediately. Rod's mother sent him to boarding school in an attempt to stem the tide of addiction. The school was an abusive environment for Rod and his addiction exacerbated. By the time he was 20, Rod was sleeping in abandoned cars. One morning he woke up in an alley and finished off what was left of the watered-down Lysol he'd been drinking the night before. He thought he'd come to the end of his life's journey. He told himself, "I'm going to live and die on the Rez." After that, Rod drank and used with wild abandon. He felt utterly hopeless. The tenacity of his mother's love turned him around. When Rod finally hit bottom, she told him. "My son, I never stopped praying for you. I never stopped believing in you." This was vital to Rod at a time when he'd stopped praying and believing in himself. Rod was 23 years old when he took his last drink. He credits his mother with saving his life. Thanks in large part to her persistence, his family has passed down recovery the same way it once passed along the disease of addiction. Eight of Rod's siblings are in recovery, and they all work in a helping profession. Rod started working in the recovery field one year into his sobriety. He currently manages a treatment center for addicted adolescents and serves as a consultant to private, federal and state public health systems, Native American health service programs, and addiction treatment programs throughout the United States. As a sober individual, Rod has reaffirmed his commitment to traditional Northern Cheyenne ceremonial practices.

• Abbie Hansen Youth Delegate
  

  Abbie grew up in a home where drugs and alcohol were problematic. When Abbie was 8 her father started drinking again and her mom started using cocaine. Her mother got arrested in February 2005 on felony drug charges. Abbie was 14 and very scared. After three months in jail, her mother was introduced to drug court and shortly thereafter began her journey to recover. Abbie's mom graduated Drug Court in 2006 and at that time had 1½ years sober. While in Drug Court, the program offered family counseling and other classes to help rebuild the family. Abbie went to all of the meetings with her mother and when she graduated Drug Court, they continued to go to AA, CA and any other meetings they could find. Abbie believes that drug Court, AA and the recovery community saved not only her mother's life, but hers as well. Abbie loved meetings, they helped her learn more about the disease and connect with her mom on a totally separate level than mother/daughter; they became best friends. In 2007 Abbie started a group called Kids of Parents and People in Recovery (K.O.P.P.I.R.), a support group for kids who are living with, or have lived with alcohol and other drugs in the home or people they care about. They are involved with the Salt Lake City Mayors Coalition against Alcohol, Tobacco and other drugs. They are currently working on putting up billboards and bus advertising to create awareness, to let others know that there are so many other options than going down the bumpy road of drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, millions still suffer from this disease and Abbie hopes that with the help of K.O.P.P.I.R. and the Mayors Coalition, they can make an impact on their community.