Archive for May, 2011
Proud of Our Graduates
Last weekend, there were a number of familiar faces at the Santa Barbara City College Graduation. We congratulate LB and Danny (SBRM graduates and staff) for completing their Certificates in Alcohol and Drug Counseling and are equally proud of Joel, Peter, and David (SBRM graduates) for the completion of their degrees and certificates. These are significant personal achievements for these men on their own journeys of recovery, but we also expect them to benefit untold numbers of people in the future as these certifications raise the clinical level of care we are able to provide for people seeking treatment.
As our vision statement speaks of people “living as productive citizens” and “leading others to recovery,” we celebrate an event like this that so clearly recognizes the accomplishment of these men and the promise it holds for others seeking recovery.
Congratulations, Graduates!
Rolf Geyling
President
Tori’s Journey
Tori started smoking marijuana at the age of seven and entered her first program ten years later. She experienced some clean time but relapsed and started using crystal meth. At the age of 20, she went into another program while pregnant with her second child and stayed clean for six years. Tori relapsed again and turned her house into a meth lab that was soon raided. Her three children were taken in the process. She said they were very angry with her, because they thought she lied to them. Tori told them she wasn’t going to go back to jail but she did. That’s when she knew she needed to change her life.
It was at this time that she heard about Bethel House and was very resistant to the idea. She said “I’d been to programs before, I’m a hooked to die dope fiend and I needed something stronger. I knew that God was the only thing that could save me.” Tori entered Bethel House on February 3, 2010 and at the age of 27 her healing began. Even though she experienced clean time in the past, she never changed her thinking. She said “I came in like a hard little street thug with a bad attitude. I turned into somebody that’s vulnerable, has compassion, and sincerely cares about other people.” Tori graduated in March of this year and returned to her husband and three children. What a gift!
