Success Stories
I was feeling the love this place gives
As a young child in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Pablo and his younger brother were raised by parents with substance use disorders. By nine years old, Pablo became his brother’s primary caregiver. The two children would hang around the streets and arcades of Old San Juan. Pablo was forced to find ways to earn money so that he and his brother could eat. The following years weren't any easier for Pablo. By his late teens he was involved in gang violence and was using drugs in the Detroit area. After trying and failing several times to lead a clean and healthy life, Pablo was told "You need to go to HRP." HRP, Project Rehab's Hispanic Residential Program, is the only program of its type in the state. The bilingual staff provide effective treatment in an environment that honors the Hispanic and Latino cultures. "This place is beautiful," Pablo says. "I woke up the day after I got here and I was feeling the love this place gives out to people. I felt comfortable right away." Pablo graduated from the program in December 2006. "I now want to give some positive back and help others."