Reggie

My name is Reggie.  I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the Robert Taylor Homes. There was a lot of poverty and a lot of things people only hear about, but I witnessed—crime and all kinds of things. Although I liked sports and played ball a lot in high school, the area and surroundings were pretty rough and I made a lot of bad turns and choices and it led me down the road of addiction.

About four years ago, I came into recovery at the Salvation Army after struggling with addiction for over 30 years.  And ISP showed up. I was invited to a retreat. At first I was skeptical, but I went, and I had an amazing outlook afterward on what spirituality is. I wondered why I kept going in and out of recovery. It was because I didn’t have a clear understanding of spirituality. My spirit was sick and needed to be healed. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t know how to reach the resources that would heal it.

When I came to my first ISP retreat, something happened. The connection was so strong that I wanted more of it. One of the facilitators saw my enthusiasm and the next time they came around, he asked for me. I was able to come back and share, and not only that, they asked me to come back again. The second time I shared, I really opened up about things from my past. I felt the power of God because I talked about things I thought I could never say out loud. It freed me from the things that held me back: shame, guilt, remorse, self-hatred, the “I’m no good” feelings.

What ISP has shown me—now I have ideas and dreams to show others. I can imagine myself being on that stage, being in a position not only to lead or facilitate, but to be a great example of what God can do if you truly seek and desire to be a vessel for Him. I know that ISP is strong and is going to grow big, because God is big. I want to be a part of that.  Here I stand. I am considered a leader and a facilitator. About a year and a half after my first retreat, I was asked to fill out an application for Ambassadors of Hope. I didn’t know much about it, but I wanted to be part of whatever ISP was, because of the impact it had on me. I went through the formalities and was chosen.

Today, I surround myself with people doing the same things I’m doing. I work overnights, and during the day I have home groups in AA. I spend a lot of time in those meetings, especially to share with people coming in off the street. People often introduce me: “This is Reggie; he went through this and that.” I give all the glory to God. The only credit I take is for the walk I make—what I continue to do. The power and the gift come from my Higher Power.  Sharing my story gave me a new perspective of who I am. My past doesn’t identify me anymore. I sit here as a new person within.

Reggie, Chicago