Success Stories
Giving Back His Time
“It was the only thing I knew,” says William Forbes. He was exposed to drugs since he can remember. William became part of the institutional system at the age of eight when he was taken from his parents who were using drugs. By the mid 1960s he was into heroin. By 1970 he was part of the Project Rehab Methadone Program. Jail, institutions, and prison were his comfort zone. He knew where he fit. He knew “Everybody was wrong but me.” In 2000 Forbes was given the chance to turn his life around at Project Rehab. That lasted just two days and it was back to prison. William admits, “I wasn’t ready, I was afraid of change.” Finally in 2003, he was ready and graduated from the Men’s Recovery Program. He knew nothing of the rules and regulations that guide everyday life. “I learned everything in the program,” he admits, “how to get up in the morning, make my bed, and be ready for breakfast on time.” Now he has an attitude of gratitude for the program that turned his life around. Today he gives back to the community by volunteering. William is also dealing with many health problems but manages to get to three or four A.A. or N.A. meetings a week. He sponsors three people into those programs telling them, “If I can do it, so can you.”
William’s story appears in 40 Stories of Courage and Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Project Rehab, which was published in Fall 2008 in recognition of Project Rehab’s 40th anniversary. Click here to read more stories about our courageous clients and the treatment pioneers who helped make recovery possible.
This story is sponsored by Grand Valley State University