On August 24th a fire destroyed Straight and Narrow's Halfway House. This program provides help and creates hope for men in recovery.
Please support Straight and Narrow during this difficult time
Eric was one of the individuals displaced in the fire. This is his story.
Eric watched helplessly as his 3-month-old daughter passed away while waiting for an ambulance to come to his home. This tragedy led Eric to start abusing drugs.
"If I knew what to do, I could have possibly saved her," he said.
The road back had obstacles, but thanks to the help of Catholic Charities, Straight and Narrow, Eric pushed forward.
He pursued employment in the medical field as a Mobility Assistance Vehicle Operator. Eric received treatment and worked hard to pay for a course to become certified.
With encouragement from the Employment Specialist at the Halfway House, he enrolled in the certification program based in Wayne. He successfully passed the exam and was quickly hired by Lincoln Coach Medical Transportation in Clifton.
Eric makes it clear that his mother, an Open Heart Technician at St. Joseph's Hospital for over 50 years, is a big inspiration in his life.
"I've been clean for over 1 year now and with this career as an MOVO, I've made my mother very proud."
Please keep Eric in your prayers as he continues to move forward. We are blessed to have helped him.
Pictured here is Eric and Halfway House Director Patricia Rizzo. "The Halfway House was our home — this was a home for a lot of men," said Patricia. "We lost the facility but the spirit lives on."
www.ccpaterson.org/snfire