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RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: John
John spent nearly thirty years on the streets of Philadelphia, drunk and homeless. He tells of being picked up by the police over and over for disturbing the peace and other misdemeanors. John’s quick to point out, "You wouldn’t have liked me then."
John came to Bethesda Project in its infancy, and in his take charge way, he began helping out at My Brother’s House, going on outreach, cooking, cleaning and helping men shower and shave. Through staff intervention and the support of the community, John decided he wanted to give up drinking and start a new life, sober.
There were ups and downs those first few years, dry spells followed by relapses, followed by longer dry spells followed by shorter relapses. Finally, John gave up alcohol.
He moved on to Sanctuary and eventually to his own apartment. John became a shift manager at My Brother’s House where he inspired men still active in their addiction to give up their alcohol and drugs.
A friend who knew John from his "early days" said that John never passed judgment on anyone. He knew how hard it was to kick his addiction and he never took his sobriety for granted. A devoted member of The 12 Step Program, John always lives one day at a time.
John flourished at Bethesda and eventually became an office manager for the administrative office. Answering phones, cleaning up after the staff and always being able to inject humor and levity into situations, John succeeded.
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