{"id":2625,"date":"2021-04-03T14:31:10","date_gmt":"2021-04-03T14:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freeagents4recovery.com\/?page_id=2625"},"modified":"2024-10-31T01:34:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T01:34:50","slug":"results","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freeagents4recovery.com\/index.php\/results\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Success Stories\/Results"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
About four years ago, back in 2020, I heard about Free Agents 4 Recovery where I met Darnell when I was in treatment.\u00a0\u00a0 Darnell has been a big part of me staying sober and pushing me through my life.\u00a0 I often say if I wasn\u2019t in recovery I would be in jail or dead.\u00a0 Darnell has taught me many things at Free Agents 4 Recovery including budgeting and how to handle my finances.\u00a0<\/p>
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Today, I love spending time with my two children, cutting hair, cooking and helping others going through their recovery transition. I have been at my job for three years and I am a supervisor. I got my license, a new car and was able to purchase my own home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
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About four years ago I heard about the Free Agents 4 Recovery meeting, and I was introduced to Darnell. Over time I built a recovery relationship with him, and we would get into intimate talks about recovery.\u00a0 Darnell played a big part in my recovery journey.\u00a0 Because of the skills I learned at Free Agents 4 Recovery, I now have a full-time job, my own apartment and purchased a car.<\/p>
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I met Free Agents 4 Recovery in 2021 when I was in treatment.\u00a0 I went through the recovery coach training at Free Agents 4 Recovery and learned how to help others in recovery, went through the budgeting class and recovery is a process seminar at Free Agents 4 Recovery.\u00a0 Since then, I have given my life to Christ and have guided other individuals to Christ.\u00a0 Being in recovery has given me the opportunity to have my own place and a good job driving a truck for a local produce company for the last year.\u00a0<\/p>
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Someone I know who found success at Free Agents 4 Recovery introduced me to them about 30 months ago in 2022. \u00a0At Free Agents 4 Recovery, I related to Darnell\u2019s story because he was someone who had a similar background as I do and was able to turn his life around and become successful.\u00a0 Darnell was willing to work with me and I decided to turn my life around. At Free Agents 4 Recovery it is your choice to change, and you aren\u2019t forced to do it.\u00a0 Because of the support I\u2019ve received I had a job as a manager in fast food and now I\u2019m making even more money working at a factory.\u00a0 I also volunteer around Free Agents 4 Recovery.<\/p>
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When I met Free Agents 4 Recovery I had just come to Northeast Ohio from Cincinnati and was living in a van.\u00a0 Someone I knew told me about Darnell and he helped me out with food, housing and a job. After being clean a couple of years, I took the peer supporter training and in my 3rd<\/sup> year of sobriety I became a peer supporter, got by CDCA and then was hired by one of the biggest treatment centers in Summit County.\u00a0 I am thankful my wife stayed by my side through everything and I have been able to mend my relationship with my children and have a relationship with my grandchildren.\u00a0 On of my favorite things to do is going to my grandchildren\u2019s activities like baseball, football, track, etc. Today I still stop in and visit Free Agents 4 Recovery and a sponsor many young men in early recovery.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t I found out about Free Agents 4 Recovery six years ago.\u00a0 I would attend meetings and fellowship with others in recovery.\u00a0 Since then, I have worked my way up into a management position in operations at my job. I have lots of hobbies: writing poetry, journaling, sudoku, arts\/crafts, baking with my daughter, shopping\/couponing, puzzles, diamond arts, making jewelry and lacing tennis shoes in different ways. \u00a0My daughter was one of my biggest supporters and even attended meeting with me.\u00a0 Now my daughter even works with me.\u00a0 Most importantly, sobriety has helped me repair broken relationships.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t My mom introduced me to Free Agents 4 Recovery in 2016 and through my struggles Free Agents 4 Recovery has never given up on me. My sobriety gave me a whole new way of life.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned boundaries and more sustainability with my money.\u00a0 The 12-steps with the help of my sponsor has helped me get rid of old trauma to make room for me to handle the problems I may run into today.\u00a0 I had gainful employment but kept working until I found the job I really wanted which helped me develop patience which is a result of working the 12-steps.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> My advice about Free Agents 4 Recovery is to work the 12-steps, give it one year, I did and it changed my life for the better.\u00a0 Today I help others in recovery, go on nature hikes, I like fixing my car, spending time with my kids, cleaning and organizing and playing sports like softball and flag football.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t I started coming to Free Agents 4 Recovery about 4 years ago. I went through many losses over the last couple years with the death of my mother and a close cousin and I\u2019m grateful for the support and services I have received from Free Agents 4 Agency.\u00a0 The recovery support meetings have helped me understand addiction so much more which allows me to help my adult children and their relationship with their father who has a substance use disorder. \u00a0More recently, over the last year, I have used the mental health services offered by Free Agents 4 Recovery to help me understand and gain recovery tools for my mental health. I have lived experience with emotional abuse, co-dependency, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.\u00a0<\/p> Another way Free Agents 4 Recovery helps me through my recovery is by helping with administrative tasks at Free Agents 4 Recovery which helps me feel useful and that I am serving others behind the scenes. I am grateful for the mentorship by Mr. Howard and I am very happy I found Free Agents 4 Recovery because it has allowed me not only work on my own mental health but has also allowed me to help others by becoming a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, a Certified Family Peer Support Specialist, a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant and certified in Mental Health First Aid Adult USA.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> Another way I have helped others is by publishing \u201cThe Wellness Journal\u201d under the name Linda France which you can find on Amazon.\u00a0 Because of Free Agents 4 Recovery, today, I have started my own Life and Business Coaching practice and I plan on continuing to help others with their mental health by offering workshops and tools for their recovery journey.<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t I met Free Agents 4 Recovery two years ago. Mr. Howard helped me talk to my sons and interact and communicate with them better in a way that they could understand me better.\u00a0 As time passed, I started attending the support groups and social events which are what I like most about Free Agents 4 Recovery.\u00a0 They have also helped me transition my mental health care to them from the V.A., which is more convenient for me since I don\u2019t have transportation.\u00a0<\/p> The quality of relationships I\u2019ve made in the groups at Free Agents 4 Recovery are real. The staff and others that attend the activities never judge me and they welcome me with open arms.\u00a0 There is always someone willing to help me when I am down and struggling.\u00a0 Free Agents 4 Recovery is always available for me to call for support, and I can reach out any time and someone is always willing to help. The groups have helped me with my self-esteem and the younger people that attend now listen to me and come to me for support.<\/p> Free Agents 4 Recovery is also very understanding and supportive with my mental health issues.\u00a0 I am so grateful for Free Agents 4 Recovery and the help they have given me. Today because of the help they have given me I now have a healthy relationship with my children, I am proud of the person that I have become. Thank you, Free Agents 4 Recovery!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t I heard about Free Agents 4 Recovery and I knew they were from my community.\u00a0\u00a0I explained to Darnell I needed housing and was having trouble finding a place since I was a felon and just released from prison.\u00a0 I became part of Free Agents 4 Recovery\u2019s Rebound (Re-entry) program and Darnell advocated for me at my apartment building, which had already denied me, and was able to get me an apartment.\u00a0 Even without funding, Free Agents 4 Recovery helped me with my deposit for my apartment.\u00a0 I explained to Darnell that having my own place will help me re-unite with my son and become closer to him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> I began fellowshipping with Free Agents 4 Recovery at their meetings, activities and fundraisers. My son and I went to Sky Zone, canoeing and other family friendly activities at Free Agents 4 Recovery and have become re-connected and have a closer relationship now. \u00a0<\/p> I started meeting with Darnell and he shared his story with me, which I related to. I told Darnell that I never wanted to go to prison or sell drugs again. He looked at me and told me that I would have to put in the work and I would be pulled out of my comfort zone.\u00a0 I assured him that I was willing to do the work. Over a period of time, I developed tools to help me cope.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p> After several months, Darnell shared that he seen a lot of growth and it was time for me to give back.\u00a0 It was at that point he asked me to speak with the kids at a State Juvenile Center where he would speak to the kids weekly. I agreed to go. Full of nervousness and anxiety, stepping inside a Juvenile prison that I was once in, he looked at me and told me, \u201cRelax, we are just visiting\u201d and he gave me a big smile. During the visit and sharing my journey from being inside that very jail and looking at the kids as their whole disposition change, I could see looking out at them as a connection started to take place. I swear it\u2019s a blessing to know leaving there having shared my will not to go back to prison and change my life, that just touching one of them, made it all worth it.\u00a0 Me of all people, looked at Mr. Howard and said, I want to go back again and talk to the kids.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p> Today I\u2019m on the Roster for Free Agents 4 Recovery to go back into prisons, juvenile facilities and other settings sharing my experience of strength and hope. It\u2019s an honor to be a part of Free Agents 4 Recovery giving back to where I once was. I took the 40-hour training of recovery coaching and I am set to take the State Certified exam to be a Certified Peer Specialist in the State of Ohio. Giving back is a beautiful thing, I still have struggles and thoughts, but today I have tools to cope and make proper decisions so I don\u2019t have to deal with consequences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t The first time I met Free Agents 4 Recovery was seven years ago. I have no knowledge of what addiction was and I ignored my mental health because of the stigma that was associated with it. Darnell explained how it could have impacted my life in the future. My story begins like this, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, came from a very old-fashioned upbringing where how you felt were never discussed. Growing up not able to express my feeling made me thinking this was normal. Once I started having conversation at Free Agents 4 Recovery, I needed to address my mental health. \u00a0I attended the \u201cStigma Training,\u201d afterwards Darnell and I began having conversations about how it feels to live with stigma, more so in the minority community where we are taught to conceal and hide trauma and emotions.\u00a0<\/p> Over the years, I have fellowshipped with Free Agents 4 Recovery and in time I came out of my shell and connected with a professional therapist that is helping me to unpack years of PTSD. I am a survivor of 9-11, I was in One World Trade Center when it was hit, by the grace of God I am able to tell my story today. I have gained tools to help me cope with my mental trauma that I endured on that day. In the last several years Free Agents 4 Recovery helped me transition, being able to leave the house and interact with peers for support, on this traumatic day September 11th<\/sup>.\u00a0<\/p> Prior to that day, I was daily drinking and after 9-11 my drinking became severe as well as developing a shopping addiction. My self-esteem, failed marriage and the inability to function on Wall Street, I decided to make the move to Ohio, little did I know that everything I was dealing with would follow. With the support from Free Agents 4 Recovery my transition this past few years has been phenomenal. Darnell suggested me taking NAMI Peer to Peer training which I have completed and I am an alumnus today. I have successfully accomplished Ohio Integrated Peer training and I am an Ohio Peer to Peer Specialist. Today I am enrolled at a University working toward my BA in Psychology in Mental Health with the goal of completing my Masters.<\/p> I have never seen a program that offers everything from resources, activities, fellowship, education and peer recovery support. Free Agents 4 Recovery has given me the tools to continue my successful journey in my path to recovery. If you are looking for a place where you can feel comfortable and be part of a family, Free Agents 4 Recovery is the agency to seek. It also made me realize that yes, you can recover and be part of society and be successful.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t