My name is Terry L. and I have been in recovery for almost 9 years.    And I was the first Executive Director for the Recovery Association Project. Now I am the Manager of Program and Business Services for Central City Concern West Portland One Stop.   I was born in Hong Kong in 1959 and was placed in an orphanage. I was adopted into the United States in 1961 where I spent 13 years being abused and neglected. In 1974 I was placed into Foster Care where, who I call my family today, nurtured me back to some semblance of health. When arrived to their home I was malnourished and beated down.   At the age of 18, I became estranged from my foster family and went full bore into my addiction. Over a 15 year period I was in and out of Jail and that was not enough of a bottom for me.  By the time I was thirty-five I managed to hold a job, purchase a home, and be reunited with my foster family.   In 1995, I was arrested for the last time. (knock on wood) This time was different.  I was so tired and had a whole lot more to lose. I got sober and was introduced to a whole new way of thinking and living.   Since then I have had a desire to give back to a community that so freely gave to me or that I so freely took from.   In 1999 a new chapter of my life opened up. I was introduced to Heather L., the first lead organizer of RAP, by my friend Lloyd D. Thru Heather I learned about organizing for power to make social changes. You see, I had always been the kind of person that thought I could solve the worlds problems by talking about it over drinks at a bar, then it became  around the kitchen table over coffee. With RAP it was different. We shared our stories with each other, found common issues and learned how to organize for power.  We learned how to research, strategize, and negotiate to make public change.  In the first two years, this is what we accomplished:   1.       Established the Recovery Mentor Program, which provides housing and other support to newly recovering opiate addicts.   2.       Compelled the County to fund and implement 20 action items addressing the heroin overdose and hepatitis C epidemics.  We believe this contributed to the overall decline of heroin overdose deaths over the past two years.   3.       Negotiating support from City Council to support almost $5 million towards affordable housing.     4.       Gaining commitment from City Commissioner Erik Sten to ensure new alcohol and drug free housing would be created out of this fund.   Since then, I had the opportunity to become the Lead Organizer for RAP.  During this time I could see even more changes and growth in RAP:   1.       RAP Metro was founded with teams in Multnomah, Clark, Washington, and Clackamas Counties.   2.       Implemented new mentors in Washington and Clatsop counties to work with newly recovering people transitioning from corrections.   3.       Winning pledges from two major Vancouver hospitals (Legacy and S.W. Medical) to expand and enhance detox services.   4.       Organizing support for effective programs at high risk of budget cuts including the Hooper Center.   5.       National recognition for our leadership development.  We still have requests pouring in from all over the country to train others to do what we’ve done.   RAP is a national model with a special mission – it’s about recovering people participating in the workings of our democracy in a positive way - we are citizens again.   For more information contact the Recovery Association Project at 503-234-3133.  www.rap-nw.org   UPDATE: Since Terry’s tenure, RAP has expanded even more. RAP is now offering RAP RECOVERY CENTER services, is also now located throughout Mid-Valley Oregon, has been active in saving OHP, and has been instrumental in the opening of a new detoxification center in Washington State.                                    8/04/MultnomahCountyRAP