“They went out of their way to assist me and help me, they believed in me.” - Otis Perdue, NCADD client
LASTING CONNECTIONS Perdue says one of the biggest reasons for his success is the support he received from NCADD staff members. Along with their help on parenting and recovery topics, he says they also helped buy him a suit and a pair of shoes for job interviews. It was a gesture Perdue has not taken for granted. “It was very important. It just goes to show that there are still people out there who will help you,” Perdue says. “I was very appreciative of it.” Perdue says the connections he formed at NCADD have lasted well beyond his time in the program. He says he still talks to several of the staff members and values those who “went out of their way to assist me and help me, they believed in me.” “If I ever need help, I can reach out to them,” Perdue says. “We stay in touch, I established a friendship with them.” NCADD President and CEO Dr. Benjamin Jones says those kinds of connections and positive outcomes are precisely what the program is all about. He says seeing people like Perdue embrace a positive lifestyle and become a better role model is proof that the programs are making a difference.
“That’s the beauty of what we’re doing here,” Dr. Jones says. “You see these success stories and we really love the fact that we can have this kind of impact on our community.”
GROWING SUCCESS Perdue is now working a steady job and is returning to school to pursue a degree in business management and culinary arts. He plans to open a landscaping business with a family member as a way to not only further his professional career, but to build up the community as well. “That’s something that we can call our own,” Perdue says. “That’s one of my ultimate goals.” Once disconnected from his children and on a
downward path, Perdue has now become a family man with strength and purpose. He says he is fortunate to have received the help from
success.
“Everybody didn't get what I got,” Perdue says. “Hopefully the program can keep running and they can help more people like me.”
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