From the age of 20 and on, Dave struggled with issues of addiction. From alcohol, to marijuana, to crack, and finally to meth, his addiction spiraled downward ruining relationships with family and friends. Aware of the cycle he was caught in, Dave used drugs to mask the realities of his addiction from himself.

During this time, Dave tried various career paths. However, most of his jobs involved dealing drugs. He started several businesses with friends, and found that the drug dealing they did on the side eventually destroyed each business. At one point, Dave even decided to quit his job so that he would have more time available to deal. When speaking about this time of his life, he reflects, “I always had morals. But when I was using, those morals went out the window.”

In 2004, Dave found himself in a drug bust, and received his first felony conviction. Still heavily influenced by his addiction, he returned to his past activities. This resulted in three more felonies over the next few years. In 2007, he went to prison.

During his time in prison, Dave’s attitude changed. He went into an intensive boot camp treatment for six months. When his sentence was done he began a job search, which is not an easy endeavor for a person with a felony record. Dave applied for jobs at 145 businesses, and of those, only two asked for interviews. One of them was Rebuild Resources.

At Rebuild Resources, Dave works in the Custom Apparel and Promotions department. Regarding his experience working in Rebuild’s sober work environment, Dave had this to say, “The job I had before this, all the guys were smoking pot and using meth. Meth is like a tunnel, and that’s all they were seeing. Here at Rebuild, people have goals to better themselves. I like that the people here are open minded. They understand where we are coming from, and give us a chance to show what we can do.”

Dave still has things in his life that he struggles with. His meth use over the years has resulted in ongoing short-term memory loss. He is also trying to be a positive influence on family members who are still locked in their own cycles of addiction. He recognizes that his own sobriety is important to his personal achievement, and his relationship with his teenage daughter. As he puts it, “There’s too much to lose.”