HopeStories.ca – Verissimo’s Story
HopeStories.ca – Verissimo’s Story – To the outsider he appeared to function normally. But behind the scenes, Verissimo was a full-blown cocaine addict. Once a successful businessman earning six figures, he never dreamed he would be homeless at age 42. Verissimo, known to his peers as trucker, grew up in a drug-infested community in the heart of Toronto. He smoked his first joint at age nine on a dare. What followed was 26 years of drug abuse and criminal behaviour. When I owned my trucking company my cocaine use escalated, says Verissimo. The drug kept me hyper and awake for four to five days at a time so I could make quicker deliveries. I eventually met a girl, had a son and stayed clean for five years. Then we separated. My son went with his mother. I was devastated. I couldnt cope and fell back into my crack cocaine abuse. The drug made me feel like superman—like I could handle anything. I started to hang out with shady people. Before long, I was involved in criminal activity. This led to a conviction and I was sent to Torontos Don Jail. For four and a half years I lived in a three-foot-wide cell. When I was released I was homeless. I had nothing and no one to turn to. My family had abandoned me years ago. While in prison, I was told of The Salvation Armys Turning Point, an addiction and rehabilitation program for men. I was familiar with the address. It was a shelter for the homeless in my old neighbourhood. I called my sister for help, something I had never done before. I was crying uncontrollably …
WEB EXTRA: Paralyzed dog walks again
Filed under: salvation army drug treatment program
… neediest on Thanksgiving Day. But Salvation Army organizers of this year's holiday meal for the poor tell us they are in dire need of pies. … The researchers are cautiously optimistic that the work could have a future role in the treatment of …
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Back on script
Filed under: salvation army drug treatment program
"looking like s–t" at the mercy of voracious drug and alcohol addiction the former young star of Geelong's performing arts scene is back on script. And on song. Two years and 11 months clean he's out of both physical and mental jails and tearing up …
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