Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Positive Things

TLC is an example of how addicts do positive things once they get clean and sober.

I thought about this yesterday while in a staff meeting where corporate officers were determining Christmas bonuses for some 75 employees.

I recalled during the meeting that 21 years ago we didn't have 75 total residents, and only three or four employees. Today we have 75+ employees and nearly 700 clients. And it was a few years before we could afford to pay anyone – let alone give bonuses.

Over time, with diligent effort, TLC has grown exponentially to serve mostly homeless addicts who want to rebuild their lives and stay sober.

And that growth is only due to the fact that those in recovery are willing to spend their time and energy to help other addicts change. Most of those who work with us could find a better paying job. But they know it's easier to stay close to their recovery when they’re helping others.

Sometimes outsiders want to give credit to those of us who started the program, those who were here from the early days 22 years ago.

But the reality is that without the hard work of our staff we’d never get anything done.