After about 25 years of drug use, Brian decided he needed help. “I didn’t pick Adult & Teen Challenge [Ohio Valley]. It kind of picked me,” he said.
Brian was out walking one night and stopped at a Youngstown church. The pastor there was ATCOV CEO, the Pastor Bob Pavlich’s spiritual leader.
After hearing Brian’s story, the pastor asked Brian if he wanted to try something different and told him about ATCOV, explaining that it’s faith-based. Brian decided to try it and it worked.
Brian will graduate in September 2023 from the year-long program. Brian tried other rehabilitation programs before, but they weren’t faith-based and they didn’t work. “I think for a lot of addicts I’ve noticed that they don’t believe. They don’t have any belief in themselves so having something to believe in, it’s a great thing,” Brian said.
Brian’s addiction started with cigarettes and he moved on to marijuana, alcohol and ultimately cocaine. ATCOV marked Brian’s introduction to faith and he forged his relationship with Christ through the program.
“It was a little rough at first because I wasn’t used to it,” he said. “But once I started getting into a little bit, digging into it, it became easier. As you read more of the Bible, you start seeing a lot of those situations in yourself…It’s an eye-opener.”
After graduation, he plans to get a construction job, save up money and buy a house. He’s unsure if he’ll stay in the Youngstown area, but he’s thankful that ATCOV found him.
“I think it worked for me because I wanted it to work and I put in the effort,” Brian said.
