Getting kicked out of high school was so rough but at the same time I have to be honest, I was so relieved, I hated being at an all boy Catholic school, like that was the REAL problem right? I was the problem, it did not matter where I would go, my problem was ME and anywhere I would go….there I (ME) was! I enrolled in a neighborhood public high school and I mean the transition was rough. Because I was coming from an “all boy’s” school, people thought it would be cute to bully me, call me a fagot, and to just harass me. Oh sure with all that bullying my thought was, “I can’t wait to go to school and get my ass kicked in by a dozen seniors and juniors who hate me because I am the ‘new guy’ from an all boy’s school!” NO THANKS!!  I had to though or I would have gotten kicked out from there too, so I roughed it out. Despite the harassment I still managed to make many friends there. I remember one of the seniors and his crew telling me to show up in the back of the school for an ass kicking and if I don’t show up they would  come to my house and do it in front of my mother! Ok!You know what?! I know people too! Little punks!!! TYwelve of them picking on one of me! I needed help man so I reached out to the good old Greek boys who protected the hood, the gang bangers at the time. I mean they were more than happy to “DO THIS!!!” I went to the back of the school exit as they requested and I walked out and saw about a dozen guys ready to give me a beating, probably to the point of going to the hospital, “you ready fagot!” one yelled out, and as soon as he said that about 30 of my Greek friends behind me came out and the leader yelled back, “you ever touch him, you’ll deal with us!” Those bullies all ran away and from that point on I walked the hallways with my head up and not afraid of anyone. Like I said I made a lot of friends and it wasn’t long before I knew who the “partiers” were. After that whole fiasco with those bullies was over and done with the rest of my junior year was a bit more pleasant, not as stressful. Cocaine was still the center of my existence and now through the public school I had more connections. I was at an age that I can drive therefore I had a car to get to these connections. My drug dealing was thriving and I was becoming more and more detached from reality. I noticed a pattern that every time cocaine was in my life and everything attached to it, “bad” things would happen. I decided to go to a priest I mean where was all this going?  Next I will share my experience with that priest that changed my whole outlook of , not only my cocaine addiction, but life itself.

Our LIFEiLEAD™ Support Groups are volunteer-driven and the group leaders are committed to working with the group members to help guide them along the path of recovery. Many of our group leaders have been through addiction and recovery themselves, and all of them have been through our training and development program. Our goal is to plant multiple LIFEiLEAD™ Support Group Programs in communities, churches, transitional homes, and prisons for those struggling with drugs and alcohol.

 While our groups are free for those who attend, there are upfront and ongoing costs to provide the necessary training and materials to effectively plant, lead, and sustain the LSG Programs. Not every location where we plant our program has the finances to fully cover the cost of our Program.

 Please consider partnering with us with a monthly or one-time donation for 2015 to help reach our goal of $25,000. Your generous donations will go towards helping communities, churches, transitional homes, and prisons in need of the

LIFEiLEAD™ Support Group Program. This effort to generate support for the LIFEiLEAD™ program will allow us to continue to provide help to individuals and families

 With your help, we can continue to play a significant role to ensure the continuation and success of these vital services.

LIFEiLEAD

PO Box 633

Warrington Pa 18976-0633

LIFE@riversideconnect.com

1-877-269-9590