You Have To Take It One Day at a Time
You Have To Take It One Day at a Time
"They took the time to get to know me. They told me the truth. They helped me get off drugs and alcohol and out of my depression."
When Jody R. first enrolled at MHALA’s Wellness Center, he was carrying the weight of addiction, homelessness, and trauma. He was searching for help — but what he found was something deeper: compassion, connection, and a path toward healing.
“I was having a hard time,” Jody recalls. “But the people here made me feel comfortable. They took the time to get to know me. They told me the truth. They helped me get off drugs and alcohol and out of my depression.”
Jody’s life before the Wellness Center was marked by hardship. He had worked as a fire watch on battleships in the Port of Long Beach, but after being violently attacked while living on the streets, he spiraled into anger and deep depression. The trauma left him angry, depressed, and in chronic pain, especially in his hip, which still requires surgery.
Finding Stability Through Support
But slowly, with the support of his Wellness Center team, Jody began to rebuild. He found sobriety, got connected to housing, and stabilized with medication. And he began to believe in himself again.
Heather Perez, LVN, a nurse and wellness advocate at the Wellness Center, remembers the moment she reconnected with Jody after a relapse. “He stopped taking his medication and lost his housing,” she says. “But I reached out. We built trust. We focused on his daily needs. And he did something many people can’t — he got clean and sober while still living on the street and enduring chronic pain. He advocated for himself.”
Creating a Healthier Future
Today, Jody resides in a sober living home with a roommate, surrounded by others on similar journeys. “I’m never lonely,” he says. He’s taking cooking classes at the Wellness Center to learn how to eat healthier and incorporate vegetables into his diet. He’s working on improving his health so he can finally be eligible for the hip surgery that could ease his pain.
With the help of the Wellness Center team, Jody navigates paperwork for disability, attends doctor appointments with support, and receives monthly medication injections. “They help me remember what the doctor says,” he shares. “They’re always there.”
Heather explains what makes the Wellness Center different: “The relationships we build with our members are genuine. We get to know people on all levels. That’s what brings someone back when they’ve fallen.”
Jody agrees. “The Wellness Center is a great place to go if you really want help. You just have to take it one day at a time.”