Hi, my name is Jared Collins. I am 24 years of age and have been struggling with an addiction to heroin for 4 years.

During that time I have tried multiple times at cleaning up never to succeed at stringing together more than 2 months without using. I had been through multiple treatment centers and yet always could not put all the pieces together to live a clean and sober lifestyle. I thought I was doomed to become a homeless bum, I figured that my life was over before it began.

I remember having a void in my heart that I tried to stuff with drugs, alcohol and material possessions. The more I tried to stuff the void the bigger it got. Around November of 2005 I was in full addiction. I had lost my job, home and basically all desire and will to live my life. I was in a state of severe depression over the fact this was probably the 4th or 5th time that year I had detoxed of heroin only to last no longer then 30 days before being hooked up again. I was constantly asking myself why and how this was happening. I was losing hope that I would ever be able to conquer my addiction. I was completely hooked once again stealing and hustling to maintain my $200 a day habit. My bottom came one day when I overdosed in a Subway bathroom. I woke up on the ground looking up at a subway employee wondering what I was doing there and why I was on the ground. I guess I had passed out against the bathroom door and only came to when the subway employ had opened the door and I fell to the ground. I don't know how I managed to get up off the ground and exit the subway only to spend the next four hours incoherently wandering around town in a state of confusion. After a couple of hours I came back to reality and realized that I had just came close to losing my life. I needed to do something and I needed to do it fast or else I become another statistic.

The next day I tried getting into detox only to be told it was three week wait, I tried phoning different recovery houses only to be denied because of my lack of funds as well as not having 5 days clean which is the going rate to get into any kind of recovery setting. So I phoned Joshua house and told Richard Korkowski about my situation expecting to be denied again. I told him I had no money and no clean time but I wanted to get into recovery. I told him I was heavily addicted to heroin and that I was probably going to get really sick once I started to detox.

Richard had no concern over the money issue or the fact I needed to detox and just told me to get some meds before coming in. The same day I made the phone call Richard had a bed waiting for me. I made it to Joshua house that day and spent the next 7 days in bed going through heroin withdrawal.

During my detox I remember how the guys in the house helped me through it. They brought food, water and encouraging words. The most important thing they gave me through my detox was their prayer.

After coming out of detox I realized that I could not conquer my addiction by any means I knew of. I tried everything to get rid of my habit but I never tried turning my will and life over to the care of Jesus Christ, which is what Richard, had suggested I do. He told me that if I gave Jesus my life and thoroughly tried to live for Jesus that through that I could receive sobriety. So I figured "what did I have to lose?” So I gave my life to Jesus and haven't looked back since.
 

Coming to Joshua House has given me a second chance in life, it has led me to making the most important decision in my life by turning my will to Jesus. I have a place where all my needs are met and all I have to worry about is working on myself.

Richard laid it in simple terms how to achieve sobriety and has given me a safe environment for me to obtain it. I found a sense of comradely and fellowship with the other guys in the house that really helped me through my hard times. Everyone there was focused on getting sobriety and learning about the Bible. I was also provided with a chance to get my funding in order by working through various contractors connected with the ministry. Joshua House offers everything you need no matter what stage of recovery you are in.

I was also given the opportunity to step into leadership and play a more active role and give back to the ministry. At Joshua House I learned how to get back into a normal routine of living. I was able to learn more about the Lord through morning Bible study group as well as afternoon programs. I was taught how to live a Christian life and to be disciplined in my daily living.

Since I have been in Joshua House and turned my life over to the Lord, my life has taken a complete turn around. My family has started to trust me again, I have been given a leadership role in the ministry, and I now have a full-time job with one of the contractors that I met through Richard. I have a support group of recovery and non-recovery people. I have learned to achieve sobriety and a higher standard of living by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.