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My entire adult life from the ages of eighteen to twenty five I was on active duty in the Marine Corps. the Marine Corps is all I had really known and once I was discharged and returned back home to Florida I found that life was very different and I had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. In 2013 all of my demons came to surface and I started down the long dark road of addiction that took everything I had ever worked for away from me along with my wife and son. When I discovered the feeling that heroin and meth gave me all of my problems in this world seemed to fade and I was able to block out anything and everything that I wanted to. From 2013 to 2019 I was trapped in a revolving door of doing anything and everything to get my next high no matter what the cost at the time. As the story is with almost every addict out there eventually the life style catches up to you and it did just that for me. To me it seemed that every time I turned around I was back in jail for another stupid choice that I made. Overdosing wasn’t enough to stop me, losing my freedom, losing my family, living on the streets, none of these things in my life were enough to stop me until I finally just couldn’t take it anymore. I was arrested January 12, 2019 and I had finally had enough of the insanity. I was done, and I know if I couldn’t find a way to stop then I was going to die. I was now back before the same judge I had been in front of multiple times before during the last year and he gave me one last chance to get my life together versus the six and a half years in prison that I should be doing at this very moment. I was mandated by the courts to Fresh Start with one year of community control followed by one year of probation. I am truly thankful for having been sent to Fresh Start because this last year of my life has been one of the best years I have ever had. When I got to Fresh Start I had nothing. By doing my part and working my program and staying faithful to the promises that God has made me I now have a driver’s license, I have my son back in my life who I had not talked to in over four years before coming to Fresh Start, I have all of my family back in my life, and I have an amazing job. Fresh Start has helped me learn to deal with the issues and trauma in my life and I have been taught a healthy way to keep pushing forward every day without the use of drugs. I am now thirteen months clean and I am truly in love with the life that lord has blessed me with today. 

Before I came to Fresh Start I was in and out of a jail, on probation, in addiction, and out of options. The Lord used my brother to direct me to Fresh Start. I was ready for change. The Lord has blessed me while at Fresh Start. I have reconciled with my family. I was able to be there for my Dad during his battle with cancer. I am loved an accepted by the Lord and my family. I now have my self-respect and dignity back and a future I can look forward to. I’ve learned how to process events in a healthy manner. My future is now one of hope.

Prior to coming to Fresh Start I was deep into addiction. A place I have been a few times before except this time it was far worse. I was the most depressed I had ever been and with the loss of my girlfriend to addiction I was at the end of my rope. I got to a point in which suicide seemed my only way out. At that time I didn’t believe in God but I was desperate for a way out and it was a shot in the dark for me, but I prayed for God to save me. I prayed that if there was a God, that He save me. The next night I was arrested and taken to jail. At the time I definitely didn’t see this as the answer to my prayers but after a few months at Fresh Start I realized that was the work of God. It was in that moment that I believed in God and began to make some major changes in my life. I began to work on my low self-esteem which was huge because though out my life I wouldn’t try things or go after stuff I wanted in life because I would think or worry about what others would think and if I failed I would worry about how that would make me look. I was also afraid of failure and that fear kept me from moving forward in life. I no longer fear failure. I believe now that I can do all things through Christ. I now love life, myself, and others.  

Before coming to Fresh Start I was in a very dark place. A place where all hope was lost and everything I once cared about in life was gone. I spent many years as a functioning heroin addict. I had a wife, house, cars, 2 beautiful children, which I lost. I pushed my family away with my selfish behavior and drug use. I was never home where I should have been taking care of my family but out with people I shouldn’t have been with. All of my time and money were put into my addiction. I spent more time in jail than being on the street. I finally came to a point where I was completely broken. A few words from my best friend and the continued support from my mom was the only spark I had left and the only thing I needed to not completely give up on my life. I came to Fresh Start with a new lease on life and finally ready to take back control. It didn’t take me long to realize I was where I needed to be. From day one this place has given me my life back.  The love and support from every staff member has helped me reshape my life to a point I never thought possible. They have helped me build a strong and healthy relationship with the Lord and I am truly blessed and thankful for that. The continuous and ongoing unconditional love and support I have received from my family and friends have meant the absolute world to me and have given my life more purpose than I could ever have imagined. This year has been a roller coaster of a lot of ups and downs but has been the most important and life changing decision I have ever made and will forever be indebted to Fresh Start Ministries for giving me my life back.  

I was in a dark place in my life to the point where I didn’t care anymore if I lived or if I died. I was using every day and stayed away from my family and loved ones because I didn’t like the person that I had become. I kept ending up in jail and court over and over. I was looking for any rehab that wasn’t faith based but a CO in jail asked me why don’t I give the Lord a try because my way hasn’t done me any favors in all these years. So I decided to and went to Fresh Start. At first I didn’t want to be here and didn’t like anything about it. During the first month here though I had a life changing event and saw how I needed to turn my life over to the Lord. I now have a heart and I love myself and others again. The Lord is leading me to a path in which I can take care of myself and my loved ones. 

The 12-Step Support Group meeting is every Tuesday evening from 7:15 to 9:00 pm.

We now provide Addicts Group and Codependency Group

February 4th

Addicts : (Step Two) “ Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "

Family : Codependency

February 11th

Addict: How to get to come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

Family: Boundaries

February 18th

Addicts/Family: 10 year anniversary testimony of former graduate of Fresh Start

February 25th

All Groups Combined for Graduation: Michael G., Wes H., Kevin M., Dave S., and Allen M. 

February Church

For the month of February Fresh Start will be attending

Celebration Church located at

3100 Edgewater Dr., Orlando, FL 32804

for the 9:00am service.