I was living like an animal. I was homeless, sleeping in the woods, stealing whatever I could just to get high. I didn’t care how I looked. I didn’t care that I smelled. I didn’t care about anything except staying numb.

I grew up in addiction. My mom, my dad, my oldest brother, and my aunt all used in front of me. That was the environment I was raised in. Eventually, getting high became my own way of dealing with everything happening at home.

School was the only place where life made sense. For seven hours a day, I didn’t have to worry about chaos or violence. I felt safe. But even then, I acted out. I fought. I got suspended over and over again. On the inside, I was hurting. On the outside, I was turning into the chaos I came from.

I bounced between my mom, my aunts, and my grandmother. My dad rarely showed up for me, and when he did, he was abusive. I remember being hit, being dragged around, being used. I watched him overdose. He forced me to steal. Saying no wasn’t an option. I was a 13-year-old kid who knew the consequences, and I was helpless.

Years later, I ended up exactly where that path was leading—homeless, sleeping in the woods, stealing to survive and to stay high. I watched my mom sell her body just to keep up her addiction. That kind of pain stays with you.

And then, God stepped in.

My mom, my brother, and I were arrested. I spent three months in jail, and somewhere in that silence, the truth finally hit me: I was an addict, and I needed help.

I was released to Charlotte Rescue Mission. The first time at Rebound, I wasn’t ready. I didn’t follow the rules because I didn’t want to. I gave up on myself quickly. But God wasn’t done. He gave me the courage to walk back through those doors again. This time sober, humble, and ready to fight for my life. Ready to receive everything Rebound had tried to offer me before.

I graduated from Rebound and chose to enter the Life Skills program at Community Matters Café. I had never held a job before, but the café became a place where I learned how to work, how to show up, how to serve people, and how to believe in myself. I built relationships, gained experience, and learned what real responsibility looks like.

I hope that when my family sees me now, they see hope. I hope they see what healing looks like and what they are capable of. My life today is possible because of Charlotte Rescue Mission and because people like my counselor Mr. Harold and my case manager, Mr. Tony refused to give up on me. They walked with me through the hardest parts and helped shape me into the man God created me to be.

I want my story to speak to people my age who are fighting the same battles I fought. I want them to know that if they’re willing, they are capable. They can change. They can choose a different path.

I’m living proof.