Tim was born to teach. “My mother was a teacher, and my parents stressed the value of education and public service,” he says. He followed that path, earning a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s in Secondary Education and Adolescent Development. But he was injured in a car accident in graduate school and became addicted to prescription painkillers. “I would see multiple doctors,” he says. “I had unfettered access.” Nevertheless, Tim graduated and found a teaching job he loved. “I was good at what I did. I cared and was thoughtful in my planning,” he says. “I was able to keep the house of cards standing for a little while.” But when it became more difficult to get the prescription drugs, Tim switched to heroin and the house of cards fell. “Bad things started happening – cars getting repossessed, losing jobs,” he says. It was then he decided he’d had enough and, after trying several rehabs, entered our Parker House Aftercare Program.
“I hadn’t really believed in God up to that point, but I’d seen how much happier people are who have that spiritual element in their life, and I wanted that,” he says. “I’ve embraced it now and things have gotten a lot better.” Tim is now using his education and teaching gifts to help others by tutoring at our Learning Center. “A lot of people weren’t offered the advantages I was and don’t have a high school education. I’m helping them prepare for their GEDs,” he says. “It makes me feel good.” Because of your support, Tim, and people like him, find help and hope when they walk through the doors of Rescue Mission of Utica –at Easter and always. “Without the accountability here, I probably would’ve slipped. This program literally saves lives.”
