Having a father in the military, Joseph grew up moving around the world. He became injured during a wrestling tournament in Italy when he was 18. It was the 1990’s and pain medication was freely given for injuries. He kept wrestling despite the pain and continued taking pain pills. He stopped taking pills for more than a decade, but in his 30’s, he was working doing foreclosures and the continued pain from that injury began causing big problems. He turned to the streets for pills this time. He ended up incarcerated due to his drug habit, and was offered REAL LIFE as a rehabilitation program. At first, the structure and expectations of the program were intimidating, and he wasn’t sure he was going to make it to completion. After two months in REAL LIFE, he began to feel a shift. He started feeling good about himself and hopeful about the future. Due to his uncertain beginning, he developed a powerful connection point for new REAL LIFE participants. He is able to assure the new guys in his house that it does get easier and life will feel more hopeful soon. He looks at this opportunity as a Peer House Leader for REAL LIFE as a stepping stone to keep himself moving forward. He’s currently working as a diesel technician and recently received a promotion. He graduated from the REAL LIFE program in November 2023 and is planning to stay in the REAL houses for a while and continue to work his recovery. Congratulations, Joseph!
