Putting In The Work

When his name was called, Jesse James walked through The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center’s gym cheering, his arms raised high above his head. Jesse was celebrating his graduation from his recovery program, the culmination of a very long journey. 

“It was an awesome feeling,” he recalled. “I had a third grade level education. I never graduated from high school or anything like that. But that feeling of putting on a cap and gown was special.”

As a kid, Jesse had fallen in with the wrong crowd and had found himself behind bars at just seventeen years old. He struggled with drugs as a young adult and later used them as a crutch to deal with depression. At his lowest point, Jesse overdosed and was in a coma for weeks. He had finally reached rock bottom.

“After getting out of the hospital, I still couldn’t kick the drugs,” Jesse explained. “It was so hard, but I knew if I didn’t change, I was going to keep hurting my family.”

Jesse had never asked for much help, but after his overdose he knew he needed it. He reached out to a friend, who recommended The Salvation Army. This wouldn't be his first time starting a recovery program, but Jesse had just enough gas in his car to make it to the Harbor Light Center and he was praying that his difficult journey was finally headed in a positive direction. 

Jesse described the first sixty days as some of the hardest in his life. Detox was the toughest and, despite his efforts, he relapsed and found himself starting the program over again.

“Having to go through detox again let me know it wasn’t easy and I was going to have to put in the work to be better,” explained Jesse. “I was embarrassed and felt like I had let people down.”

The second time through the Harbor Light program was much easier for Jesse. He had his eyes set on his goals with a mindset that no one and nothing would get in his way of completing the program. The new attitude and determination made all the difference as Jesse worked his way through each step of the process.

Jesse is now close to one year sober and he credits The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center for helping him gain his independence after so many years of addiction. Harbor Light helped Jesse rekindle relationships with his family, secure a job, and even learn how to read. 

“They gave me the tools,” Jesse said, “but I put in the work. And now I’m proud of the man I’m becoming.”