Jeremy
Born to a single mother who was addicted to drugs, Jeremy had been physically abused as a child by his mom's boyfriend. His grandmother took him away for a few years before his biological father and stepmother, also addicts, were granted custody. By his teens, Jeremy was using drugs and running with a bad crowd. “I started with pot and then moved to the harder drugs,” he recalls. “I got arrested for things like theft or being drunk in public or possessing drug paraphernalia. The last time I was arrested, at 15, the judge said I had the choice of going to Vista Hill's PARTS program or being incarcerated with the California Youth Authority.” (PARTS has since become the SAFIR—(Supporting Adolescents & Families in Recovery).
Jeremy wisely chose Vista Hill, but he was angry about having to attend yet another drug intervention program that he knew wouldn't work. “I didn't want to be there, so I was mad at everyone. I was depressed, and I hated my counselor. She was brutally honest. She saw through all my lies and b.s. and wouldn't let me get away with anything.” Things began to change when Jeremy entered his first group session. “I was shocked because I realized everyone there was like me. They looked the same and were into the same music and culture and had all the same problems. But there was one huge difference. They were all sober. I thought maybe this was going to be different after all, and I said to myself, ‘Let's do it!'”
Jeremy's new attitude and Vista Hill's support transformed his life. After giving up drugs and alcohol (he's been sober 12 years), and successfully completing the program, Jeremy was so grateful he stayed on for several years as a volunteer counselor. “I actually became a role model for kids coming into the program. They asked me questions and looked to me for advice and guidance, which I was happy to give. During one session, a kid pointed right at me and said, ‘I'm clean and sober six weeks now because of you.' It was amazing. For the first time in my life, I realized I could make difference in someone else's life.”
Meanwhile, Jeremy was getting his personal life on track. He started out delivering for Pizza Hut when he was 18, and in the years following worked at a Coronado restaurant, a coffeehouse that he ended up managing, followed by a store manager's position at Starbucks and his current management job with Blockbuster. He was married in December and is looking forward to family life. “My life couldn't be better and I'm very blessed,” Jeremy says. “But without Vista Hill, the great things that have happened to me would never have occurred. These are the most caring, committed people you will ever meet. That's why I was honored to be invited to speak at Vista Hill's gala last fall. I wanted to tell everyone that 10 years later I'm still clean and sober and loving life. I wanted to personally thank them and the many people who support this great organization. I wanted to let them know just how important Vista Hill has been to me.”
