Jim’s Story

After the third time his dad beat him badly enough to land him in the hospital, Jim’s older sister stepped in and brought him to live in her home.Being raised by alcoholic and abusive parents meant that there was no sense of stability or safety in his home.This, coupled with some learning disabilities put Jim at a huge disadvantage at school, and after years of struggling to keep up, Jim dropped out of school in the 7th grade.

He began helping his sister with her fishing system, and then eventually at 16 years old, found employment at the pulp mill and later as a roofer. He started doing drugs off and on at the age of 20 and liked the way it would make him forget, even just for a little while. Despite his childhood trauma, Jim found love and he and his soon-to-be wife were excited to be starting their lives together. But tragedy struck and Jim lost his wife to an unknown medical cause and the loss was devastating. It sent Jim into a 25-year-long addiction to heroin and a life that he could never have imagined.

Living on the streets was rough and Jim would sometimes find himself at Ruth & Naomi’s night shelter where he learned of the Oasis recovery program. Entering the program in early 2022, Jim is now 1.5 years clean and preparing for the next step forward in his new life. Jim will be moving from the recovery program and into RAN’s Interchange supportive housing. The former Travelodge/IHOP now gives the opportunity for individuals who have experienced addiction or homelessness to learn to live on their own again, while receiving some added support and accountability. ‘The program has done nothing but wonderful things for me’ Jim shares. ‘It has helped me have a way better outlook on life. I accepted God back into my life and he has helped me stay on the right road. My goals now are to just stay off the drugs and to get my feet back into the work community. I hope my story helps somebody else and can encourage them to get their life back in place’.