My name is Bart and I’m an addict,   As I was growing up, I was painfully shy and didn’t communicate well with my family, my peers or my educators---I was the youngest of 11 children and my parents were practicing alcoholics.  There was a lot of fighting and I couldn’t do anything about it because I was too small.   In all of the chaos, my siblings taught me to cope with my living situation, by smoking pot.  When I smoked pot, I was able to forget about my surrounding and I was happy.   Since no one was paying attention, I was able open the refrigerator, help myself to beer or wine; everyone smoked cigarettes and so did I.  I thought it was just the normal thing to do.  As a matter of fact, my parents thought it was okay for me to drink with them.   My dope dealers (brothers and their friends) thought it was fun to get me loaded on many different things.  So the experimenting began!  My school behaviors didn’t change, because I was always in trouble anyway, my grades didn’t get any worse, because they were never that great, no one had any idea I was slipping through the cracks, until I got to ninth grade.  My pot use got so out of hand, I ended up in the principal’s office---a lot!  But I kept lying my way out of it and he let me continue on my way.  After two attempts at the ninth grade, I finally realized I couldn’t meet the expectations or the requirements of my teachers, they thought I should do homework.  It was work enough just to live at home; I couldn’t add anymore pressure to myself than I already had.    As my journey continues, during my fifteenth year, my parents got a divorce, my mom found a new boyfriend, they paid the rent for a month and moved out.   After one day of living with my siblings, I knew I could not stay there, so I hit the road, stayed with friends until I got a job and bought a car.  My car became my home and remained my home for the next year.    My next real home at 18 years old was a large Navy ship and my new Uncle Sam kept me busy for 4-1/2 years.  I got to stay a little longer because I received two of my four DUII while in the Navy.  I drank excessively and daily in my Navy career, my rank kept changing HOWEVER it was never for the better.   For several years I was a functional addict and got along the best that I could.  There was a marriage, a divorce, and another DUII.  After leaving treatment, I was able to quit drinking entirely by using drugs.  For the next 12 years, my life continued sliding down hill as my addiction perpetually climbed to new heights.   My drug use became so out of control-- the last straw was the loss of my job. **My boss happened to see something worth saving in me, paid my health insurance for an extra 30 days and told me to get into treatment.  In treatment my life began to change.  I don’t know if I reached my bottom or I just stopped digging.  I put my shovel down and held out my hand to the people reaching in to show me the way.   Upon leaving treatment, I was lost and didn’t know how to live.  Treatment was great, however leaving with no resources, no recovering community for support and remaining homeless almost as hopeless as before.  And then Divine Intervention led me to the “soon to be” Oxford Housing Family with their hands out, I grabbed hold and never looked back!   Today I am living in RECOVERY, in an Oxford House I personally opened.  I am employed (** by the way, my boss rehired me after treatment, they say I am the best employee in that company,) I pay my taxes; I am a volunteer in my community. I help my brothers and sisters who are still falling down in their disease by standing tall in my truth and my recovery.  I am a Co-Chair with the Recovery Association Project.  I offer you this small piece of my story to share with you that RECVERY WORKS!!!     ** If you are an employer, please note, the small investment my boss made in me, has paid off ten fold.  I am reliable, dependable a great worker, I don’t cost money in sick time and I am now considered an asset to the company as well as to my community.   For more information call Recovery Association Project, 503.234.3133 or www.rap-nw.org   8/04/MultnomahCountyRAP