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BIG MAN, BIG HEART
If you meet Cameron, you never forget him.
An imposing man, he is full of charm and life
and passion. He greets you warmly and looks
into your eyes to see who you really are.
He’s come a long way since that grim day
in September 1999, shivering on the doorstep
of Dawn Farm’s Detox, hoping to find a way out
of the terrible madness of crack cocaine.
Cameron had been a young man with great
promise. Raised in Ypsilanti, he was a bright and
talented student who earned a full academic
scholarship to the University of Michigan. He
envisioned himself as a lawyer: “I thought maybe
I could be the next Martin Luther King.”
He did well at the university, earning a
bachelor’s degree in Political Science. But he
met a girl, got married, and his aspirations
shifted toward the business world. He worked
in a variety of contract management jobs until
1984, when he tried crack cocaine.
What happened over the next 15 years is
something of a blur—except that it included at
least ten treatment stays and numerous trips to
the Detox in Ann Arbor—all without success. He
was actually at the Farm three times, and was
discharged every time. He could have given up.
But on that last day in
September 1999, something changed in Cameron. “I was tired, beat up, and
I heard they were opening
up a new program in the
city.” Cameron tried it again—this time at the new Huron
Street House in Ann Arbor. “It changed my life forever.”
“I have a mother who prayed a lot,” says
Cameron. “I know that she’s one reason I was
able to stay in the program and get better.” He
has been clean and sober ever since.
Cameron completed treatment and entered
one of our men’s transitional houses. After 18
months, he became a House Manager himself,
carrying the message to others.
He is a man full of gratitude. Cameron is
also truly a man in motion—compassionate and
creative in the way he approaches his life.
Today Cameron is a case manager at the
Delonis Center shelter in Ann Arbor, helping men
and women to rise out of homelessness and
taking special interest in the addicts and
alcoholics.
In 2003, Cameron also helped create “SoberFest,” a popular annual event that
celebrates recovery in Washtenaw County with
music and activities.
In his spare time, Cameron is a talented
musician who has rejected the bar scene in favor
of developing bands comprised of other people
in recovery. His band Primary Purpose plays in
Ann Arbor regularly—and Cameron was recently
tapped to join the Motown Legends Tour.
“I really appreciate
what you guys did for me.
If I got any happier I would
have to pay somebody.
“Recovery—the whole
process—is the most significant thing that can happen
to you. It changed my whole
life for the better. It can for you too.” |
