Moises Olivares

Since I was a teenager, I was involved with drugs and gangs, and I was in and out of juvenile facilities, which led me to a future of substance use and incarceration. The streets were ugly and unkind. My family no longer trusted me. I was lonely and suicidal. I would put the needle in my arm and ask God to let me die. I was hopeless. I went from a respectable man to a full-blown dope fiend. I did my last parole violation in LA County jail in 2017; it was then that I surrendered, prayed, and asked God for direction. The whole time I was there, I heard,  “You know where to go and what to do; you’ve been here before.” I got on the bus, went straight to Pasadena, and enrolled in the Grandview Foundation. I had been to Grandview twice before but vowed that this time would be different. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I had hit my bottom.

I realized that I could not change the past and understood that I had to separate myself from a lifestyle that was causing me harm. Grandview taught me to embrace and process my feelings, which continues to help me move forward in my recovery. I studied The Big Book, and my higher power led me to church. Today, God is number one in my life, and I surround myself with people who are sober and serve the lord.

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