Nearly 10 years ago, Thomas was living under a bridge and struggling with alcohol addiction. He was also facing challenges with his mental health, making it difficult to imagine a different future. Today, his life looks very different. He has stable housing, a strong recovery community, restored relationships with family, and a growing sense of responsibility to support others who are working to rebuild their own lives.
Thomas first connected with Interim after receiving care at Natividad Medical Center. A community worker met with him and explained that Interim could help him pursue housing, Social Security benefits, and other resources that might help him regain stability. Thomas knew that support alone would not be enough. He also had to be willing to change.
“I wanted to change,” he said. “I was willing to go in there and change myself.”
Finding Stability Through Supportive Housing
Thomas began attending recovery meetings and working toward sobriety. Over time, he received support through several housing programs, including Sunflower Gardens, Shelter Cove, and eventually Franklin House. He also completed an outside recovery program at Genesis House. Housing became the foundation that allowed other areas of his life to improve. “That’s where you change your whole life,” Thomas said.
Through Interim, Thomas also received help applying for Social Security and navigating systems that had once felt difficult to manage alone. As Monterey County’s leading provider of community based behavioral health and supportive housing services, Interim connected Thomas with the housing, advocacy, and resources he needed to begin rebuilding his life. He credits staff members who took an interest in his story, advocated for him, and helped guide him toward greater independence. “They sent me on the right path,” he said.
Today, Thomas has nearly a decade of sobriety. He continues to attend meetings regularly, works with a sponsor, and sponsors others who are beginning or continuing their own recovery journeys. Over the years, he estimates that he has supported approximately eight people through the 12-step process. For Thomas, helping others is not separate from his recovery. It is one of the ways he maintains it. “That’s what keeps me in touch with my sobriety,” he explained. “I’m helping others. I’m giving back to the community.”
He does not approach people with unsolicited advice. Instead, he makes himself available when someone is ready to ask questions, seek help, or learn from his experience. He understands that lasting change begins with willingness.
Thomas describes his life today as completely different from the one he once lived. Recovery required him to leave behind relationships and environments connected to alcohol use, while also learning healthier ways to care for his mental health. It also introduced him to a new community of people who support one another without judgment.
Along the way, many of the things Thomas believed he had lost began returning to his life. He rebuilt relationships with his children and family. He regained his confidence, his desire to live, and his ability to imagine a future grounded in sobriety and service.
Thomas does not measure progress through large or unrealistic goals. His focus is simpler and more personal.
“My goal is to become a better person for everybody around me,” he said. “To better myself, to give back more to the community, and to help people.”
That commitment has not gone unnoticed. Thomas was previously honored with the Kristen Hart Award and was recently recognized at Interim’s Mental Health Banquet with an award for resilience and service. He admits that receiving recognition was difficult because he did not realize how many people had noticed his contributions.
“I didn’t think I was recognized,” he said. The awards helped him understand that his example reaches further than he may always see. People who remember his earlier struggles can now see what recovery, housing, and continued support have made possible. Some approach him because they want the stability and independence he has worked hard to build.
Thomas knows that everyone’s path is different, but he encourages people who are struggling to ask for help and remain open to change. His own journey shows that recovery is not only about leaving an old life behind. With stable housing, behavioral health support, and a community that believed in him, Thomas built a new life and now helps others do the same.
Read more stories of recovery, resilience, and community on the Interim News page: https://www.interiminc.org/interim-news/