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Graduates of recovery
program see sunny days ahead
BY LAYLA GARMS
THg CHRONICA
For many, Monday,
Nov. 5 was just another
Monday. For Tim
LaClaire II, it was the best
day of his life so far.
The 25-year-old cele
brated his completion of
the Prodigals Community
chronic substance abuse
program, his acceptance to
Forsyth Technical
Community College and
his full-time employment
at Prodigals.
"Today was my first
day, actually," said
LaClaire, who will study
at Forsyth Tech to earn his
EMS certification. "It was
fantastic. I've never had a
better day in my life."
It is a far cry from
where the Trenton, NJ.
native was just 14 months
ago.
"My life had become
so *unmanageable," he
recalled. "I decided one
day I was going to take my
life. I felt like I had no
other options."
And so, on the evening
of Sept. 21, 2011,
LaClaire attempted to
commit suicide by over
dosing on heroin, his drug
of choice. When he awak
ened from a stupor to find
he was still alive, LaClaire
reached out for help. After
receiving medical treat
ment at several facilities,
LaClaire landed at
Prodigals, and it is there
that he says the real heal
ing began.
rroaigais ^ommumiy
employs a unique method
to break clients from their
addictions. For 12 to IS
months, clients live at the
Prodigals house on
Waughtown Street and
submit to a program that
fuses the traditional 12
step model with principles
of Christianity. Prodigals'
success rate is high.
LaClaire was one of
five men who graduated
Monday during the
Prodigals' Fall Step Up
Service, which celebrates
the achievements of those
who have completed the
program, which also
teaches job readiness.
"The Prodigals pro
gram may be the most dif
ficult'thing you've ever
accomplished, and your
successful completion of
this program is likely to be
the most rewarding
accomplishment of your
life. Remember that there
is more to come,"
remarked Chaplain Chip
Bristol, who is also a
recovering addict.
Executive Director
Sally Harper said the
organization has "stepped
up" eight men this year,
more than in any other
year in the organization's
two-decade long history.
Steven Draughn's
journey began when he
entered Prodigals on Aug.
24,2011.
"I was in bad shape,
really. I felt like there was
a void in my soul," con
fessed the 32-year-old,
who it a roofer by trade. "I
was lost. I couldn't mange
my own life. My life was
unmanageable."
Prior to coming to
Prodigals, Draughn, who
struggled with addictions
to crack-cocaine and alco
hol, was living in a
camper. Since completing
the program roughly two
months ago, he has man
aged to get out on his own
and land a full time job
with lip Top Roofers.
"I'm paying my own
bills, I have my own
place," said Draughn,
whose 12-year-old son
Brandon accompanied
him at the ceremony. "It's
like a whole new life."
The Step Up celebra
tion was held as part of the
agency's weekly Monday
evening worship service.
Current and former
Prodigals residents gath
ered together with family
members and friends to
celebrate the occasion.
Each honoree was intro
duced by a fellow
Prodigal, many of whom
offered inspiring testi
monies of their own.
"Prodigals didn't open
the gates of heaven to let
me in," Prodigal Jessie
Fountain said in his intro
duction of Willie Little.
"It opened the gates of
hell to let me out."
Little said Prodigals
had been the right remedy
for him, too.
"I've been in and out
of treatments, but this was
the tough one, and this
was the one that I needed.
Tomorrow, I'm gonna
have 24 months clean,"
Little related to boisterous
applause.
Victor Todd, a 2010
Step Up graduate who cur
rently serves as an admin
istrative assistant for the
organization, said honoree
Thomas Smallwood stood
out from the moment he
walked into the agency
because he was not down
trodden like many others,
but grinning from ear to
ear.
"You've got this smile
that don't quit, and you've
got this spirit; it's like a
purity in your spirit and it
just radiates," Todd told
Smallwood. "It don't get
no better than that."
Smallwood, who lived
out of his storage unit for
two weeks prior to enter
ing the program, says be
smiles because he blows
how far he has come.
"It was so bad for me
that I couldn't even live in
a homeless shelter
because I wouldn't listen
to anybody. Addiction
took over my life. It made
me someone different. It
i 1 1 ? hi !? i ?
tortured me, and I allowed
it to," related Smallwood,
who has battled the dis
ease for over a quarter
century. "The reason why
the smile won't quit is
because of the pain that
got me here. I truly
believe that I had to go
through that pain."
Prodigal Kelly
Summerlin introduced his
friend and comrade
Robbie Williams with a
little playful ribbing about
the sour attitude Williams
exhibited in his early days
at Prodigals.
"I came here kicking
and screaming. I was so
broken,'' Williams admit
ted. "I've lost a lot, and I
hurt the people I love the
most, and I just didn't
have no one. What I got
here is something that I've
never felt. This place
showed me a way that is
til? ?JLi ,i ?U_
uniuLC aiiyuiiiig i iuuiu
have known I could ever
be"
Honorees were each
given a photo book depict
ing their journeys to sobri
ety, a certificate of com
pletion and a handmade
quilt, courtesy of
Northwest Baptist Church.
For more information
about Prodigals
Community, visit
http .//prodigals x>rg or
call (336) 785-0770.
nam by Ugfe Om
Stevem Draught* (center) worshipt alongside his son Brandon Draughn (left) and fellow graduate Thomas
Smallwood.
Wiltte Little prtpartt to receive kit certificate.
Victor Todd
Robbie Williams
The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest
H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published
every Thursday by Wmston-Salem Chronicle Publishing
Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, N.C.
27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C.
Annual subscription price is $30.72.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636
Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636
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