A fter years of a hydra-like pandemic, it’s perhaps safe to say we all understand even more that life’s path can be filled with unexpected twists. As a former caseworker devoted to helping others navigate the vast and complex corporate arena of social services, STAND Inc. graduate Reginald is living proof of being most unfortunately blindsided by life’s darkest turns. Having dedicated his professional career to social service, Reginald slipped quietly into his own substance/addiction issues as his ever expanding caseload slowly overwhelmed him until, quite suddenly, as he recently shared- “It seemed like one day I was looking through a window reaching out to help clients, and then the next day I was somehow on the other side of that window…” Of course so many of us can understand the cruel irony of falling into traps we were only just trying to help others avoid but even in his darkest hours Reginald was able to recall one of the most vital lessons of service- Perseverance. With a loss of livelihood, his confidence shattered and his self-esteem hitting bottom all as a result of his substance/addiction issues, Reginald reached out to a friend who referred him to STAND Inc. He then hesitatingly took not just one or two unsteady attempts to make contact but finally—on his third try—managed to gain admission and join not just a new recovery, but a new recovery family. It was this perseverance and his own stoic sense of service that now leads Reginald to a new direction which gifted him with a clear and capable motivation to move forward. His typical day is now filled with service to and with others followed by his own time at self-healing and self-reflection. He’s also focused and engaged with STAND Inc.’s behavioral health and “DOOR” programs and is especially keen on “Wellness Wednesday” and its emphasis on health/well-being as he moves forward with renewed confidence and refreshed self-esteem. Recalling his professional skills as well as the new skillsets he’s learned at STAND Inc. as he looks forward to the future, he recently shared- “My goal now is to take the tools and coping skills I do have and redirect that out to the universe, then one day hopefully come back as a success story. I really want to give back to STAND and help others who are still suffering like I was. I want to let them know that we do have a choice.” Yes, Reginald is living proof that our paths can be long and twisted but even as he soberly regards his new road forward he also stays grounded in his new state of grace when he considers- “Every second becomes a minute, every minute becomes an hour, and every hour becomes a day…and my story continues.” And, gratefully, the Stand Inc. story now continues with him.” “Every second becomes a minute, every minute becomes an hour, and every hour becomes a day…and my story continues.” -REGINALD story continues.” QRZͤ OOHGZLWKVHUYLFHWRDQGZLWKRWKHUVIROORZHGE\KLVRZQWLPHDWVHOIKHDOLQJDQGVHOIUHIOHFWLRQ +H̵ V DOVR IRFXVHG DQG HQJDJHG ZLWK 67$1' ,QF̵ V EHKDYLRUDO KHDOWK DQG̸ '225̹ SURJUDPV DQG IRUZDUGZLWKUHQHZHGFRQͤ GHQFHDQGUHIUHVKHGVHOIHVWHHP 5HFDOOLQJKLVSURIHVVLRQDOVNLOOVDVZHOODVWKHQHZVNLOOVHWVKH̵ VOHDUQHGDW67$1',QFDVKH HYHQPRUHWKDWOLIH̵ VSDWKFDQEHͤ OOHGZLWKXQH[SHFWHGWZLVWV$VDIRUPHUFDVHZRUNHUGHYRWHG JUDGXDWH5HJLQDOGLVOLYLQJSURRIRIEHLQJPRVWXQIRUWXQDWHO\EOLQGVLGHGE\OLIH̵ VGDUNHVWWXUQV +DYLQJGHGLFDWHGKLVSURIHVVLRQDOFDUHHUWRVRFLDOVHUYLFH5HJLQDOGVOLSSHGTXLHWO\LQWRKLV ƈ-XWIIQIHPMOISRIHE]-[EWPSSOMRKXLVSYKLE[MRHS[VIEGLMRKSYXXSLIPTGPMIRXWERHXLIRXLI RI\XHE]-[EWWSQILS[SRXLISXLIVWMHISJXLEX[MRHS[ƏƉ WU\LQJWRKHOSRWKHUVDYRLGEXWHYHQLQKLVGDUNHVWKRXUV5HJLQDOGZDVDEOHWRUHFDOORQHRIWKHPRVW :LWKDORVVRIOLYHOLKRRGKLVFRQͤ GHQFHVKDWWHUHGDQGKLVVHOIHVWHHPKLWWLQJERWWRP DOODVDUHVXOWRIKLVVXEVWDQFHDGGLFWLRQLVVXHV5HJLQDOGUHDFKHGRXWWRDIULHQGZKRUHIHUUHGKLP to STAND Inc. He then hesitatingly took not just one or two unsteady attempts to make contact but ͤ QDOO\̱ RQKLVWKLUGWU\̱ PDQDJHGWRJDLQDGPLVVLRQDQGMRLQQRWMXVWDQHZUHFRYHU\EXWDQHZ ,WZDVWKLVSHUVHYHUDQFHDQGKLVRZQVWRLFVHQVHRIVHUYLFHWKDWQRZOHDGV5HJLQDOGWRDQHZ ƈ1]KSEPRS[MWXSXEOIXLIXSSPWERHGSTMRKWOMPPW-HSLEZIERHVIHMVIGXXLEXSYXXSXLIYRMZIVWI XLIRSRIHE]LSTIJYPP]GSQIFEGOEWEWYGGIWWWXSV]-VIEPP][ERXXSKMZIFEGOXS78%2(ERHLIPT SXLIVW[LSEVIWXMPPWYJJIVMRKPMOI-[EW-[ERXXSPIXXLIQORS[XLEX[IHSLEZIEGLSMGIƉ <HV5HJLQDOGLVOLYLQJSURRIWKDWRXUSDWKVFDQEHORQJDQGWZLVWHGEXWHYHQDVKH ƈ)ZIV]WIGSRHFIGSQIWEQMRYXIIZIV]QMRYXIFIGSQIWERLSYVERHIZIV]LSYVFIGSQIW EHE]ƏERHQ]WXSV]GSRXMRYIWƉ
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