When Chuck arrived at Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge (PAATC) he was a shadow of the man he once was. Standing 6’3” but weighing only 196 pounds, his frail body bore the marks of years of addiction, grief, and abandonment. His skin was covered in sores, his ankles were swollen and his face was a…
While in the grip of addiction, I lost everything. My house. My family. My freedom. After getting arrested, my wife and I lost our house. Our children went into foster care. I went to jail. I had forgotten how to be a man, a husband, or a father. But even at rock bottom, I knew…
Peter’s journey from the depths of addiction to the loving, devoted father he is today is nothing short of remarkable. It’s a tale of resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of love and family. Growing up, Peter had a strong bond with his dad, who was his primary parent. Their relationship was built on shared…
Lisa’s journey has been one marked by profound challenges and heartbreaking loss. Both of her parents struggled with a substance use disorder, marring Lisa’s early years by trauma and uncertainty. Raised in an environment of neglect and instability, Lisa’s parents were eventually unable to care for both her and her brother, and they were split…
“Son, you’re what we call hopeless.” Ryan was on a very dark path for a very long time… Parents yelling, dad storming out, the door slamming, left on the sidelines to watch it all play out. This was the first real memory Ryan had. He was 5 when his parents separated, and that was the…
“You will lose everything” – Alcohol I saw this on a billboard years ago and I remembered thinking to myself, “how is that even possible?” Surely there had to be other factors causing someone to lose everything. Not just alcohol… Eight years later my life became an epic example of the words on that billboard.…
Cassandra grew up in a household that was torn apart by drug and alcohol abuse. Her mother struggled with cocaine addiction and her father battled alcoholism. As the baby of eight children, Cassandra was often left in the care of her older siblings. Addiction continued to take its toll on the family and her older…
Eric quickly felt the consequences of his drug use as he was estranged from his family, lost jobs, experienced homelessness, and was in and out of jail. Eric grew up in Cleveland, OH. Like many we serve, he began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in his youth. At the age of 24, he was introduced…