Carl's Story

Carl was like many of the individuals who struggle with homelessness and substance abuse as a means to cope with underlying issues that they are avoiding.  He attributes his addictions to denial about his health problems, confusion, death of immediate family members and inability to deal with reality.  Carl retained a job throughout the course of his addiction to support the habit.  He indicated that his daily routine consisted of working, returning home, drinking and using drugs. This vicious cycle lasted in excess of twenty years.  During this time Carl was on probation for various misdemeanors stemming from the influences of addiction.  Eventually the addiction consumed Carl’s life and his ability to support himself financially.  Carl could not pay his rent and became homeless.  He said that he always knew that he required help and grew weary of the dead-end lifestyle which he could no longer pursue.  Goals were kept in the back of his mind.  For the first time in his life, he understood that he needed to address the deep rooted problems that were ultimately driving him to use.  Carl came to Covenant Community, Inc. and was encouraged to be himself.  He realized that he needed to focus on his recovery and the steps necessary to maintain sobriety.  “What sets Covenant Community apart from other programs is that it does not do for you, what you can do yourself.”  Carl states that his acceptance into Covenant was a “sheer act of God.”  His past did not determine his future and adds “I’m not a bad person, but a person who made bad decisions.” Carl obtained a degree as a medical assistant and has remained clean and sober for over two years.  He is healthier and happier than he has ever been and is grateful to Covenant for enabling him to get his life back and transform his future.

Manny's Story

Manny is no stranger to homelessness and destitution.  His parents separated at a young age and later his mother remarried.  With an alcoholic step father and the responsibility of assisting his mother with four sisters, Manny experienced a great deal of grief.  At the age of twelve, he was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer, and after surgery at age thirteen, Manny said that things began to deteriorate.  After his mother died, he was faced with living on his own. His first encounter with the streets occurred at the age of seventeen.  This lasted for approximately three years, during which he experimented with marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, heroine and crack.  This commenced a vicious cycle that would ultimately lead him to more than ten treatment facilities. Over twenty years later, Manny checked himself into a detox facility.  Others who were also going through detox were talking about Covenant Community.  Manny was intrigued, primarily because Covenant sounded completely different than all the previous programs that he had completed.  Manny applied and was accepted at Covenant.  Prior to arriving at Covenant Manny was accustomed to isolation, having been marginalized by people for the majority of his life.  But staff at Covenant opened their arms to Manny, and offered a loving, non-judgmental atmosphere.  He says that he felt like “someone special” during his time at the facility and loved the sense of camaraderie.  Manny is no longer afraid to ask for help.  For him, spirituality was one of the most important things he gained from Covenant.  Manny feels extremely blessed to have completed the program at Covenant and will be forever grateful to have been given such a life-changing opportunity.

Lee's Story

At the age of 42, Lee was a slave to his drug addiction, on the verge of eviction, and spiritually bankrupt.  After a 15 year cycle of homelessness and addiction, Lee realized that he was in desperate need of help.

 Lee had grown up in a good home in New Jersey, was a college graduate, and had married his childhood sweetheart.  He did not have a criminal record and was consistently able to obtain employment while using drugs. Lee considered himself to be a high-functioning addict.  During the course of his addiction, his wife intervened countless times, encouraging him to seek treatment. And he did so, over and over again. In fact, by 2001, Lee had been to 14 different treatment facilities. But it was only when he reached his lowest point that he realized he could no longer continue his destructive lifestyle.

Fortunately, Lee had heard about Covenant Community numerous times over the course of his treatment, and finally he entered Covenant as a participant in its residential program. Prior to his experience at Covenant, Lee had thought he was intelligent enough to make his life and addictions coexist. During his time at Covenant, though, Lee came to realize that this would not work; he would have to become “clean.” He completed Covenant’s treatment program and learned how to be an accountable, responsible person. More importantly, he was given the tools to cope with the underlying issues that had lead to his addiction.

 After graduation, Lee stayed very connected to the community and is now the Vice President of the Men of Hope Alumni Association. He is also on staff as a part-time counselor and is working towards his certification in addiction counseling. Lee now has a wonderful relationship with his wife and two children. He is gainfully employed and has been in recovery for more than eight years. 

John's Story

John was not exposed to drugs at an early age.  Aside from his stepfather who was an alcoholic, John did not attribute his addiction to family exposure.  However, his family dynamic was instrumental in the eventual formation of his addiction.  John described himself as a “rambler” with an “adventurous spirit.”  Unfortunately, his desires for adventure led him on a dangerous path.  During his youth, John was subject to placement in orphanages, juvenile court, and state institutions.  He received most basic skills from these arenas because he lacked a mentor/role model figure at home. John had a passion for music, desperate to find an outlet in which to channel his feelings. His desire was so strong, that it ultimately drove him to steal a musical instrument, after which he was formally charged with theft.  John was sent to Georgia Industrial Institute, where he started the first high school band and obtained his GED.  John later married and had five children. This marriage ended in divorce and John relocated to California.  He secured employment as a heating and air conditioning technician and became very successful.  John also maintained a good relationship with his family while in California; although the distance was difficult for his children who remained in Georgia.  His first relationship after the divorce exposed him to drugs and was a time which he describes as “the beginning of the worst part of my life.”  John used intermittently from 1991-2006. He experienced periods of homelessness in excess of thirteen years, starting in 1993.  John went into treatment in California, but left after one week.  Desperate for change, John felt that by abandoning his toxic environment, he would be inclined to abandon his addiction as well. He returned to Georgia, remarried, and met a nice man who provided him with a job that ultimately jumpstarted him back on the path to sobriety.  After three years clean, he relapsed.  His second marriage also ended in divorce.  He was sucked back into the cycle of his addiction.  John learned about co-dependency and was able to identify the traits he possessed. John lived with his brother, who encouraged him to stop using.  John recalled several instances when he sat on the steps of his brother’s house and felt completely hopeless. He had once again lost everything he had worked so hard to obtain. John went to Grady Hospital and told professionals, “Please put me in a program so I can stop using. I am destroyed.” He was referred to Leonard’s House, a recovery program in Atlanta, where he stayed for thirteen days.  During this time, he encountered individuals that were in the height of their addictions roaming the streets and discovered a mirror image. After Leonard’s House, John came to Covenant Community, Inc. His initial goal was “to go to a place where I can work on my recovery, get a job, and regain my sanity.”  Although he was apprehensive at first, John thrived at Covenant.  He describes himself as an “animal for recovery.”  He loved the program because of the degree of professionalism carried out as well as the environment which is so conducive to recovery. He attributes his success in part to the tremendous support and positive influence from the Men of Hope Alumni Association.  John has been clean for almost two years and is currently the resident house manager at Covenant Community, Inc. He is a talented musician and has been featured at the past three Celebration of Memories and Hopes ceremonies. He has a good relationship with his family, is well-grounded and confident in his recovery.

Dennis' Story

Dennis came from a small town in New Jersey.  He was a star athlete with lots of friends, a loving, supportive family, and a promising future.  But his popularity also subjected him to a life of partying and drugs.  At numerous parties, Dennis used “everything under the sun.” Soon after his older brother and other friends moved from New Jersey to Atlanta, Dennis followed them. Unfortunately, the move presented him with numerous obstacles which included a variety of drugs that were gradually overtaking his life.  After moving to Atlanta, Dennis started using crack cocaine which led to “everything going downhill.”  Although he always believed in working and maintaining a job, all of the money he earned was being spent on his addiction. Dennis later moved to a neighborhood which he describes as a “drug trap.”  He used drugs on a daily basis, and “woke up just to get high.”  But the more Dennis used drugs, the more he grew tired of the addiction and his dead-end lifestyle.  He came to the sobering realization that he no longer had control of his life, but was consumed by his addiction.    Family members continued to express concern about Dennis.  He no longer knew the man whose reflection he saw when he looked in the mirror.  His initial step to recovery consisted of a 30 day program on Boulevard, followed soon thereafter by admission to Covenant Community.   At Covenant, Dennis felt like he “was somebody” and he began his road to recovery.  He took responsibility for his actions and learned to rebuild his life with the tools he was provided.  The day he walked into treatment, Dennis was certain that he would never use drugs again.  He is grateful that Covenant has given him a firm foundation to get his life back on track.  He now has a beautiful wife and a seven-year-old daughter. Dennis is gainfully employed, owns a home, and has maintained his sobriety for over eleven years.