Martin Kalish
The Salvation Army truly saved my life. I am a man who spent the first four and a half decades of life as a productive member of society. I was living the American Dream, but addiction had been hiding in my genes, waiting for the right moment to strike. At a point in my life when I seemingly had everything going for me, my many character defects brought the disease to the surface. At first, alcohol and drugs seemed to be what I had been searching for all my life. But before long, I knew I had fallen into a trap. Once I had reached that point, it was too late; no matter what I tried, no matter how much counseling I received, no matter what my using cost me, I could not stop. In two short years my disease progressed until I had lost everything: family, friends, home, career, security, reputation -- and I was powerless to do anything about it. After other, unsuccessful attempts at rehab, and through a series of seeming coincidences that I now recognize as the hand of God, I found myself at the Salvation Army ARC in Romulus. It was here that I found the power I needed to recover, and that power was God. It is said that God often works through ordinary people, and I believe that. The people He put in my life here gave me all the tools I needed in order to recover. I was able to examine myself and make changes in who I am. I was able to put the ugliness of my past behind me. I was able to become productive again. The Salvation Army taught me how to put God first in my life -- and I know that everything else will follow. I am now an employee of the Salvation Army, and my burning desire is to be used by God to help others overcome this disease, with His help. I am grateful to The Salvation Army for saving my life.