“I come from a small little mountain town, and I’ve succeeded by leaps and bounds at TROSA, “ shares TROSA graduate Joe. “I want to give others hope. I actually found out about TROSA from reading the stories of TROSA graduates. My aunt printed out their stories from TROSA’s website and Facebook, and those stories inspired me to come to TROSA. So, this is amazing to hopefully be able to do the same now for someone else!”
Joe grew up at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “It was a good way to grow up,” he shares. “I’ve always had a very supportive and hardworking family. There was nothing lacking in my life.”
When he was 14, Joe started experimenting with drugs. His family owned and operated a thriving textile business and Joe worked for his family for almost thirteen years until the family store closed.
He committed crimes to support his addiction and was arrested. “I didn’t know what to do at the time,” shares Joes. “But I knew I couldn’t do this on my own. I knew that once I got out of jail, I was just going to get high.” Joe learned about TROSA while in jail. He secured an interview and started the program in 2018.
While at TROSA, Joe has received free residential care, health services, daily therapeutic activities, and participated in TROSA’s Kitchen and Catering team as an integral part of TROSA’s campus.
Looking ahead, Joe is now hopeful for his future. He graduated from TROSA’s multi-year program, earned his nationally-recognized ServSafe certification, and received training to obtain his Peer Support Specialist certification.
Peer Support Specialists are people living in recovery who provide support to others through their lived experiences. This certification is offered to senior residents at TROSA. Earning his Peer Support Specialist certification is another way that Joe can serve as a mentor to others—both on the TROSA campus and beyond—and opens up a career path in recovery.
Reflecting on his program, Joe cites learning about his own behaviors and motivations as especially meaningful. “I don’t crave drugs anymore. I’ve put too much into myself to just throw it all away. TROSA gave me my opportunity to succeed. I can have a career and a life now. I see now that I can have a future…and I’ve grabbed a hold of it.”
