“I’m an addict, but my problem is Aaron”
How you helped answer a young man’s prayer for a new beginning
Aaron never felt like he was good enough growing up. He was drinking beer at the age of ten and he was introduced to cocaine by fourteen.
Despite his problems with alcohol, Aaron was able to graduate high school, attend college and find a job he felt passionate about. But after the death of a friend, he turned to harder substances as a way of escaping his reality. He didn’t stop using throughout his marriage, its subsequent breakdown, or through the birth and childhood of his son. Despite his substance use, Aaron was granted custody.
He would go to every means necessary to both provide for him and feed his addiction, no matter the cost. One day Aaron finally could not continue. He had been using heavily and couldn’t recognize himself in the mirror. Aaron saw the way his son looked at him and realized his addiction was not only killing him, but also harming his son.
Taking full advantage of a second chance
Aaron turned to God for help, and to St. Michael’s Homes, a ShareLife-funded agency. On his second attempt, he completed their treatment program and entered transitional housing. He remains very active in addictions support groups. As a result of his recovery, Aaron has been able to help his family in ways that would not have been possible before.
“St. Michael’s Homes saved my life,” he says. “They gave me a second chance. I’ve been given an opportunity to turn my life around and make it worth living. I’m taking full advantage.”
Photo: A staff person and program participant at St. Michael’s Homes