Rick Morris is a pastor and community activist. While he recently began his position as a Lucas County UMADAOP prevention specialist, Morris has partnered with the organization for several years. His past experiences combined with his community involvement have provided him speci ! c insight into areas that most trouble the community. WALKING THROUGH THE PAST IN HIS WORDS :
MY STORY
“I believe that all the speci ! c areas that UMADAOP is targeting are interrelated. " e pandemic has aggregated them due to frustrations, anxieties, and the lack of social integration. As someone who doesn’t come from a stellar background, I can understand how many people can ! nd the need to cope with the reality of life, whether it’s violence, drugs, or alcohol. I’ll go a little into my story for a bit. As a child, there was a lot of violence in my home. At the age of 15, I lost my mother and ended up on my own. I started selling joints in high school, and over the years it just progressed. I thought I needed to do drugs and alcohol to have the lifestyle I wanted. Eventually, I ended up committing a crime that changed the course of my life. I was forced to get the help that I needed and started talking to a psychologist about the issues that had ultimately led me to the position I was in. " at freed me from a lot of secrets. From the age of ! ve to about eight or nine I was molested. I was holding in anger after my mom died. I had to deal with those inner issues, and that helped me work through self-acceptance so I could actually be okay with myself. Along the way and through counseling I met people who helped me look at Scripture. ! at began to open up my eyes. I now believe God has given everyone a gi " , but I hadn’t realized my gi " at the time. When I was younger, I was the leader of a gang. I’ve always been a leader, but at that time I was using my abilities to lead in a di # erent way. I o " en doubted that God could use me. But as I started to grow, I began to open up my eyes more and more.
“I had to deal with those inner issues, and that helped me work through self-acceptance so I could actually be okay with myself.”
- Rick Morris, Lucas County UMADAOP Prevention Specialist
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