Alison

A Life of Recovery, Service, and Purpose

I was an addict of methamphetamine for almost 10 years.

I said enough was enough. I wanted to have a family, and I couldn’t do it the way I was going.

So I put myself in detox on July 29, 2016. I was there for 14 days. I ended up having all my teeth removed while I was in there. I came into the program of Alcoholics Anonymous with stitches in my mouth.

I knew nobody in Oceanside. I came to Oceanside to get a fresh start. Everybody that I know is in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

I love being of service.

By the grace of God, on July 30, I will have 10 years clean and sober.

I will be clean longer than I used for.

Staying Plugged In

I do as much service work as I can in the rooms of the program and through volunteer work with the church. I help out with CFRC, feed the homeless on Mondays, make sack lunches on Thursdays, and do Humanity Showers on Wednesdays.

I keep myself busy because if I don’t, that’s where all the bad thinking comes, and you start going back to old behavior.

I’d rather keep myself plugged in all the way in the program.

I’ve been raped three times. I’ve been through domestic violence relationships, and I’m thankful that I didn’t end up in prison for selling drugs.

I should be in a federal prison for the stuff I did. I’m thankful I never got caught, and I’m thankful I never got what I deserve.

But I know that God has a purpose for me.

And so I live every day being an example of what the program can offer.

Finding C4C

I heard about C4C through Nick.

We’re in AA together. We do 7 a.m. meetings every day of the week.

I met him and he started telling me about Grace Vineyard. I started doing Bible study with him there, and then he invited me to come and do the homeless feeds.

So I started doing the homeless feeds, and now I’m making sack lunches for them, too.