WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.200 Today is Colorado Gives Day. But first I want to 2 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:06.519 read a random text message that I got. It says, 3 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.599 after Thanksgiving it work. I observed a lady with a 4 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:12.960 giant castroll dish filled with mashed potatoes and she was 5 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:14.519 just eating them with a spoon. 6 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:16.679 I wanted to compliment her, but. 7 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:18.760 I didn't say anything because I was worried she would 8 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:20.960 take it the wrong way. But I'm jealous and I 9 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.600 admire her stance on the abundance of potatoes. 10 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:25.640 It never occurred to me to do that. 11 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:29.000 Jealous, I think I would agree with you in that 12 00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:32.880 situation for sure. I also want to share one more 13 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:35.960 text message, Mandy, I gave my old Honda to step 14 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:36.479 this fall. 15 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.840 It was a good experience. 16 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:41.240 I also have a small donation twenty five dollars monthly 17 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:44.119 going their way for my check every month. I believe 18 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:46.039 in what they do and I am blessed to be 19 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:49.399 able to make a small contribution. I also love Colorado 20 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:53.200 Feline Foster Rescue and Humane Colorado. I don't have either 21 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:55.560 of those animal related charities on the show right now, 22 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:59.399 but I do have Megan Shay, the executive director, and 23 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.479 Andrea write down your last name, so I don't know 24 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:04.680 what your last name is. Okay, that's probably why I 25 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:06.000 didn't write it down because I don't know if I 26 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.000 would Is that Polish? 27 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:08.359 It's Russian? Russian? 28 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:11.120 So close and yet so far. Megan, you've been on 29 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:12.040 the show multiple times. 30 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:12.560 Welcome back. 31 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:14.439 Yes, it's great to be here with you. Love this 32 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.239 annual tradition. Thanks for having us. 33 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:19.480 Well, so much has happened. I want to start with you, Megan, 34 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.400 and then we're going to come to you Andre. But 35 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:24.560 I just recently did another tour of Step Denver, and 36 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:27.560 I have to give Paul Corolei from Citycast podcast a 37 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.640 shout out because out of the and I'm not exaggerating 38 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:33.799 thirty people that I've invited to come to a tour 39 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.079 of Step, he's the only person that has ever taken 40 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.239 me up on it. So Paul and I went down 41 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.079 and did a tour of Step. Although I'm bummed we 42 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:42.840 didn't get to see all of the residential quarters or 43 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:44.640 have such a huge impact. 44 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:48.959 Honestly, you love the bed making, Okay, that is it's 45 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:51.000 a powerful visual. We'll get to that in a moment. 46 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:57.200 But you guys have there's so much amazing cool stuff 47 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:00.879 happening at step Denver. But the coolest stuff is that 48 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:02.400 there's now a step Colorado Springs. 49 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:04.560 It has been a remarkable year. 50 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.519 We are very grateful to share that we just five 51 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.680 weeks ago opened a fifty bed facility in Colorado Spring. 52 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.680 So we've talked for how many years, a decade probably 53 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:17.439 about the fact that this model is replicable, should be 54 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:22.360 taken into communities that don't have these philosophies, these methodologies 55 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:25.360 at play, and the continuum of services. Right, we know 56 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.080 we are not going to be able to solve homelessness 57 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.680 us one organization. It takes a lot of different options 58 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.199 and different methods, but we have one that has proven 59 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.599 to work over decades. We have ten years worth of 60 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.879 solid data and we felt that responsibility to answer the 61 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.439 call where there is a significant need. And I'll tell 62 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:46.719 you we are now seeing that need. We have eleven 63 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.719 open beds in the fifty bed facility only five weeks 64 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:50.439 after opening. 65 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:55.560 We will be full before Christmas. Well, congratulations, thank you man. 66 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.639 Let's start with the philosophy first, because I'm sure there 67 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.879 are people to say right now who are not really familiar. 68 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:04.199 They've heard the name step Denver, maybe they haven't, right, 69 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:07.000 So what is the philosophy what is STEPED over all about. 70 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:11.360 So Step dever is helping men exit homelessness for good, 71 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:14.400 and we do that through addressing the root cause of homelessness, 72 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:17.199 which is addiction for the majority of the population. We're 73 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.400 also serving men specifically, because the majority of the homeless 74 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.000 population are men if you look at any point in time, 75 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:27.800 count and we do that through addiction, recovery programming, workforce development, 76 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.680 and life skills. So we are helping men rebuild every 77 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.400 part of their life that's been destroyed from the ground up. 78 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:39.360 And we're doing it on four core principles sobriety, work, accountability, 79 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:42.919 and community. We also take no government funding. I have 80 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.360 to say, I think that's why this program works because 81 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:47.960 we are making every decision based on what's best for 82 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.120 the people we serve in nothing else, and we are 83 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.360 able to do that through the generosity of our donors. 84 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:55.319 We are entirely funded through philanthropy, but that gives us 85 00:03:55.319 --> 00:04:00.080 the freedom to have a methodology that actually produces outcome 86 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:01.680 and we can talk about those well. 87 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.560 I want to share something I was just telling Megan. 88 00:04:03.639 --> 00:04:06.479 I literally just read a book last week called Beyond 89 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:10.759 Homeless Good Intentions, Bad outcomes and transformative solutions. And one 90 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:12.520 of the points they make in this book is that 91 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:16.800 they had looked at certain organizations like yours, and they 92 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.959 had a program that worked really, really well and it 93 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.600 was about accountability and work. But then they went after 94 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:25.360 government dollars and they had to change the programming in 95 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.120 such a way to work with the federal requirements that 96 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:33.279 the federal government has a housing first policy, and housing 97 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.519 first means that you are looking to get someone some 98 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:39.680 kind of permanent support of housing before they deal with 99 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.720 their mental illness, their trauma, their addictions. It just get 100 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:46.319 them into housing and then they're going to make better decisions. 101 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:49.160 I would say from my perspective that housing VERSU has 102 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:50.000 been an epic failure. 103 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:54.720 A house does not miraculously solve addiction. And what we 104 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.279 are seeing is that people who are in the throes 105 00:04:57.319 --> 00:04:59.839 of their addiction are put into free housing with no 106 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.720 expectation of sobriety, accountability, of them making any progress or 107 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:06.759 effort in their life. And what happens is they die 108 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.639 in that housing. They are more isolated, they're less likely. 109 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:10.160 To be found. 110 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.199 And I do have to say that I was alarmed 111 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:16.560 to hear and I won't call anyone out. But somebody 112 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.040 stood in front of city council and said, you know, 113 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:21.959 we don't consider deceased to be a negative outcome because 114 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:26.000 they died inside. And I could not believe what I 115 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:27.920 was hearing, and if I hadn't seen it for myself, 116 00:05:27.959 --> 00:05:33.040 I wouldn't believe it. We counter that we believe that compassion, 117 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:37.680 real compassion is telling someone that you are capable of more. 118 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:38.759 We know you are. 119 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:40.360 We're with you every step of the way, but we 120 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:42.720 are going to hold you to these standards because we 121 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:45.120 know it's what it takes for you to get the 122 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:47.040 life back that you deserve and for you to be 123 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.800 able to be someone that you can look in yourself 124 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.040 in the mirror every morning and know that you have 125 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:54.879 something to offer this world. And Andre is an example 126 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.360 of that. I know we'll talk about about history and 127 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.839 you'll get to hear from him, but we believe that 128 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:01.279 people deserve better well. 129 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:03.360 And one of the most interesting things about Step and 130 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:07.199 I want to I'll ask Andre about his way through 131 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:10.879 the process. You know, it was initially called Step thirteen 132 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.600 as kind of an add on to the twelve Steps 133 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:16.199 of AA, the Foundational Steps of AA, which was great, 134 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:19.959 but now it feels like step Denver represents the steps 135 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.199 that men take from the first day they walk in 136 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:24.639 the door, when they start learning the rules, and they 137 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:27.120 start learning what's expected of them, and they start learning 138 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:30.120 the rewards that come to them when they do these things. 139 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.000 It is like a series of steps. I mean even 140 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.279 and I you know, we talked about the residences at 141 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:39.000 step Denver, the visual of how you start to what 142 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:41.759 is possible and then you eventually move into support of 143 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:44.560 housing outside of step Denver's four walls. 144 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.000 I mean, it is a series of steps. In reality, 145 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:47.399 it is. 146 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.199 We Actually it's a four phase program and every phase 147 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:52.959 has different goals and milestones that you're reaching in your 148 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:55.759 life through your own effort. I often love to say that, 149 00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:58.839 you know, people talk about Step and what a wonderful program, 150 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:02.639 and that's true, but it doesn't matter, frankly, how good 151 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:05.480 our program is if each individual person doesn't make the 152 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:07.720 choice every day to put it into practice in their 153 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.480 life and so everything these men achieve, those are their 154 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:13.480 achievements through the support of our donors, through the support 155 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:15.120 of our program. But at the end of the day, 156 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:18.199 it takes that individual making that choice to put in 157 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.639 the work and that's how they see the results, and frankly, 158 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.480 that's how they become the person that their family needs, 159 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:28.800 that our society needs, and they can really contribute to 160 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:33.600 our city as people who have officially broken the cycle 161 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:34.560 of dependency. 162 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:36.000 So one of the. 163 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:38.680 Greatest things about STEP is that a vast majority of 164 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:41.279 it is peer to peer. When you are talking to 165 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:43.639 an employee of STEP Denver, they are someone who has 166 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.920 overcome addiction themselves. They are going to look an addict 167 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.240 in the face and say, whatever you got, I understand 168 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.839 it because I was there. And that brings me to 169 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:55.839 Andre who now is the STEP Denver Director of Operations. 170 00:07:56.360 --> 00:08:00.879 But how long ago were you a client of STEPNVERK So. 171 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:05.120 I joined in August twenty second of twenty two. Okay, 172 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.720 I entered the doors to STEP Denver. And why I 173 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:14.279 was there, like, well, led me there was I didn't 174 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:15.120 know a way out. 175 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:17.920 I had been to eighteen other programs that didn't work. 176 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:21.199 You did eighteen other programs to overcome your addiction, like 177 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:23.040 in patient, outpatient everything. 178 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:27.319 Those were just the inpatients an outpatient as well. 179 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:30.680 How long did you struggle with addiction? That's active addiction 180 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.440 thirteen Since I was thirteen. Holy cow, So you have 181 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:37.000 really had a tough road to hoe. As they say, 182 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:37.720 how old are you now? 183 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:42.559 I just turned forty one? Wow? Wow? What finally? Why 184 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.279 did this stick? So? 185 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.759 I think many different things. Right the second I got 186 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:50.559 to Step, they treat me as a human. I felt 187 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:54.720 safe in the environment, and I was living with other 188 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.360 guys that went through a similar situation that and just 189 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.919 like you just explained, the staff there like they all 190 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:04.639 knew what I went through and was able to approach 191 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:10.080 it from a brother perspective versus a clinical right, those 192 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.080 other eighteen programs were all clinical. I'd stay there for 193 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.679 as long as the insurance would let me, and then 194 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:18.720 it was here's a meeting sheet, good luck, and back 195 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:19.519 to the streets I went. 196 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:23.799 So, So, how many times were you homeless when you 197 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:25.000 went into Step this. 198 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.279 This last time? That's correct, it was homeless for almost 199 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:29.399 two years at that point. Now, let me ask you a. 200 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.200 Little bit about your time when you were living were 201 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.639 you were you unsheltered homeless? You were living on the streets. 202 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:36.279 Yeah, I was living on an intent under a bridge 203 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:36.879 in Englewood. 204 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:41.120 So from your perspective as a formerly homeless person, what 205 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:44.000 do you think is the biggest issue when it comes 206 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:46.639 to and I realized that there's a million different reasons 207 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:48.799 why people end up on the streets. There's no one 208 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:52.320 single this is why it happens. But why do people 209 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:55.759 become chronically homeless? Why are they there for five years, 210 00:09:55.799 --> 00:10:00.080 for ten years? What happens that makes that seem like 211 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:03.480 like it's the life you're choosing, when in reality you're not. 212 00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:07.600 So for me personally, it was the fact that I 213 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.519 hadn't experienced enough pain at that point. And that sounds 214 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.159 silly because at that point I had lost my children, 215 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:16.960 my marriage was on the rocks, lost you know, career 216 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:21.480 career jobs with like Fortune five hundred, one hundred companies. 217 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.080 And it was the fact that I was able to. 218 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:29.320 Still live right, Like I had food stamps, I had 219 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:31.519 you know, third party assistants. 220 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.039 Really that allowed me to stay out there longer. 221 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:38.200 So how how this is going to sound like a 222 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:41.279 dumb thing to say, But how easy did they make it? 223 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:43.200 Were you talking three meals a day or a meal 224 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:45.360 whenever you wanted it? I mean, one of the things 225 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.919 I'm trying to impart to people is that I understand 226 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:49.879 what people's hearts tell them they need to do something 227 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:52.360 to help people on the streets, but they're not really helping. 228 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:54.039 Yeah, so I. 229 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:57.559 Mean, I mean I ate when I I mean, I 230 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.519 was on meth and fetamine, so I really didn't eat, 231 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:01.320 but I when I needed to, and I used the 232 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:04.679 food stamps. I'd cash them in and use that money 233 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.080 to buy narcotics. 234 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:07.559 Crazy. 235 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:10.159 So when you went into STEP at the very beginning, 236 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:12.000 had you gone through Detoks first? 237 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:12.840 So? 238 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:18.200 Yeah, I got committed for nine months prior to the 239 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:22.399 mental hospital. About twenty seven days in they offered me 240 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:23.600 to go to the STEP Denver. 241 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:26.559 So you basically were so strung out on drugs they 242 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:27.759 put you in a mental facility. 243 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.639 Yeah, correct, Okay, and you made the choice, though, what 244 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:32.440 was it? Were you just trying to get out of 245 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:35.200 the mental hospital at that point? That's correct. I'm guessing 246 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:35.440 that was. 247 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:35.919 Yeah. 248 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:38.519 I just wanted to not be there, right, you know, 249 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:41.519 because I was in a room lockdown for twenty three 250 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:42.120 hours a day. 251 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:43.200 How good were you? 252 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.879 How certain were you that you'd be able to snow 253 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:48.679 the people at STEP Denver and you know, skate your 254 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:49.159 way through this. 255 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:51.519 I had no intent in staying. 256 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.080 I was just waiting, you know, And they said all 257 00:11:53.080 --> 00:11:54.679 I had to do was go just step Denver. They 258 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:57.679 never said I had to stay, So why did you stay? 259 00:11:57.919 --> 00:11:59.960 I mean it's nice, don't get me wrong, but it's 260 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.759 it's not that nice. Something must have kept you there. 261 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.120 So it was that first night I went to my 262 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:09.320 first seven o'clock meeting and one of the recovery support managers, Derek, 263 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:12.000 was telling his story that night, and the first thing 264 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.080 he said to me or the group was look for 265 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:18.600 the similarities, not the differences, right, And I get chills 266 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.000 every time I say that, Right. 267 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:23.200 And what did that mean for you? At that time? 268 00:12:23.559 --> 00:12:27.080 In that moment it clicked like I didn't know what 269 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:28.879 it meant exactly, but it's just like, all of a 270 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.759 sudden when he was telling his story, he spent ten 271 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:35.200 minutes qualifying himself as an addict, right, so I can 272 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:38.840 believe them, right, And then fifteen minutes of this solution, Right, 273 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:41.360 it's a solution that night. By the end of that meeting, 274 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.279 I was just so excited. I was like, I want 275 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.519 to be here, I want to do this right, And 276 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:47.399 I'm like, if a guy like that can recover, why 277 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:47.759 can't I. 278 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.480 Oh Wow, that's fantastic. I mean, that's kind of what 279 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:52.799 it's about, Megan. 280 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:55.200 It is and I have to say, you know, watching 281 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:59.480 people like Andre when they come in from the day 282 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.960 one to even day five, they're almost unrecognizable. We get 283 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.279 to watch people come back to life right before our eyes, 284 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:07.840 and we watched that light come on behind the eyes. 285 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:10.919 And then we get to watch people like Andre become 286 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:14.120 men of service who helped the next guy and help 287 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.320 the next guy. And that is why this works. There 288 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:18.559 the heart and soul of this program. One hundred percent 289 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.600 of our program staff or alumni of our program. 290 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:22.720 Okay, I just realized I'm five minutes later for a break. 291 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:24.080 This is going to be two breaks in a row. 292 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:26.519 I apologize. We'll be right back to talk more about 293 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:28.519 step Dever after this. By the way, to the text, 294 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.000 who said, is Leeland Conway's wife doing their social media 295 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:35.480 commercials for step Denver in Springs, she looks so familiar. Well, 296 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:37.440 that would be Megan Shay, who happens to be in 297 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.559 the studio with me right now. We're also joined by 298 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:44.120 Andre and the Russian last name, who is the director 299 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:47.200 of operations for step Denver and also a graduate of 300 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:47.960 the program. 301 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:49.559 Now there's a couple things, Megan. 302 00:13:49.879 --> 00:13:51.799 That first of all, you guys just shared with me 303 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:56.120 how you ended up getting in the program in the 304 00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:59.600 first place. You actually tried to kill yourself. Well it 305 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:00.200 turned them on. 306 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.639 Yeah, that's correct, So I didn't see a way out. 307 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.720 So basically, I was so depressed and hopeless that I 308 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:11.399 decided to shoot up bleach and that's what got me 309 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:12.480 put onto the cycles. 310 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.039 I can't even imagine what that must have like, Like 311 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:19.080 the entire that must have been a terrifying thought process 312 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:20.200 that got you to there. 313 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.159 It was I just again felt hopeless. I've lost pretty 314 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.120 much everything in my life. My marriage was on the rocks. 315 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:32.360 I lost my kids to my addiction, jobs and housing 316 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.519 and just everything, not just once, but three times over. 317 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.279 You know, since I was twenty, How what is it? 318 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:45.480 How does failing that rehab affect you mentally as an addict? 319 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:48.679 Mix it that it's not an option to go to 320 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:51.799 another one? Like I said, I went to eighteen programs 321 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:56.320 prior to STEP and none of them worked. So I 322 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.279 didn't think that treatment was an option for me. Because 323 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:00.360 how you were hopeless. 324 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.519 Yes, golly, I'm glad you weren't andre when we get back, 325 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.879 and I'm sorry, guys, I did not break on schedule. 326 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:07.399 I breaked really late, so we got to take another 327 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:09.039 break here in just a moment, I do want to 328 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.120 talk about some things you need to know. First of all, 329 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:13.399 we've got a donor who is offering a ten thousand 330 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:16.360 dollars match. So if you've ever wanted to donate to 331 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:18.399 step Denver, now's the time you could help them get 332 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.159 an extra ten grand if you make your donation today. 333 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:23.559 But when we get back, let's talk about Step Spring, 334 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:29.000 something Andre is intimately involved with and very exciting for 335 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:30.279 Step that they're growing this way. 336 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.200 We're gonna do all of that right after this. 337 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:35.840 Keep it on KOA in honor of Colorado Gives Day. 338 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:38.639 We have one of my favorite things that you should 339 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:41.440 give money to, as step Denver. We just got a 340 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:44.519 good report. I just mentioned the fact that if they 341 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.759 get ten thousand dollars in donations today, they get a 342 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:47.840 ten thousand dollars match. 343 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.279 And the Mandycoddle aut against you guys delivered. We're up 344 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:53.639 to like forty two hundred that's right, eighty five minutes. 345 00:15:53.720 --> 00:15:54.559 I just got words. 346 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:57.240 Since you made that announcement, forty two hundred dollars has 347 00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:59.159 been donated towards Oh match. 348 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:01.519 That makes me, you know why, because my audience is 349 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:01.799 the best. 350 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:05.039 I'm just saying, let's talk first, going to get a 351 00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:07.799 couple questions, and someone on the text line asked what 352 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:10.559 I think is a very common question, and that is 353 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.159 is STEP denver faith based? 354 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:14.759 We are not. And it's for good reason. 355 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:19.440 I'm sure many people have heard about the barriers that 356 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.039 often go up for an individual, especially people who have 357 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.360 been caught in that cycle of addiction for so long. 358 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.919 Any idea of religion, a wall immediately goes up, and 359 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.720 many people, most people will not even enter a program 360 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:34.519 if there is any image of religion associated with it. 361 00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:36.399 And so what we have found over the years is 362 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:41.320 that by focusing on spirituality and having groups and discussions 363 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.360 around what is the difference between religion and spirituality? Why 364 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:46.360 are you resistant to the idea that there may be 365 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:48.639 a power greater than yourself. One day I heard a 366 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:52.720 man say my ego right, Well, i's honest. So just 367 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:56.039 naming it, what we find is it opens the door. 368 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:00.559 And our men do develop very strong faith through their 369 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.879 experience at STEP, but it's strong because they've developed it 370 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:06.680 in their own way and on their own timeline and 371 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:09.160 their throats exactly. 372 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:09.839 This is a. 373 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.200 Let's I think a better way to say this. It's 374 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:16.240 not faithless, correct, it's not dogmatic at all. 375 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:17.440 There's no doubting. 376 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:17.640 Right. 377 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:19.200 They're not going to tell you what to believe. They're 378 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:20.759 not going to tell you who to believe or what 379 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.559 path to follow. They're just going to open the possibilities 380 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.079 for you to maybe think about that. 381 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:29.079 And as a result, men are actually having very strong 382 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.319 faith in their life and a connection to God of 383 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:33.480 their own understanding. 384 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:33.759 Right. 385 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.839 But they are building that connection to God which would 386 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.400 never be possible if we were a faith based program 387 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:41.240 in which they wouldn't even walk through the door. 388 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.519 Andre where were you when it came to faith or 389 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:45.319 God or any of that stuff? And where are you now? 390 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:46.119 So? 391 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:49.759 Yeah, the God word really tripped me up. Or because 392 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:53.480 I was molested at a young age by a priest. Oh, 393 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:58.319 when I heard God, I was kind of attributed to that. Sure, 394 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.200 And you know, when I got the step, I learned 395 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:04.680 the difference between religion and spirituality, and you know, I 396 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:06.079 became spiritual. 397 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:09.200 And now I'm back in the church. Really that's correct? Wow? 398 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.279 Good, I mean that's fantastic actually that it helped you 399 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:14.359 healed your relationship with the church. 400 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:15.559 That's pretty amazing. 401 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:19.519