After multiple attempts, Abel was more determined than ever to graduate the program. And he did!

When Abel first entered the program, he never imagined he’d graduate. It’s taken five attempts to get to this moment. But this time is different. Abel is not just clean and sober—he's thriving, deeply rooted in faith, humility, and a determination to leave a legacy his grandchildren can be proud of.

Born and raised in a low-income neighborhood of Santa Maria, Abel’s early life was marked by instability. “My father was never in the picture,” he recalled. “My mom raised four boys and two girls on her own. She did the best she could.” He remembers his mother studying at Cal Poly while her kids waited in the car, entertaining themselves with chess and Scrabble. Watching her, Abel learned resilience.

That work ethic followed him into adulthood. A youth employment program landed him a job in an automotive shop, where he discovered his passion. “I loved working with my hands, taking things apart to see how they work,” he said. “There’s no such word as ‘can’t’ in my vocabulary.”

But even as he excelled professionally, Abel struggled with alcohol. “I thought, ‘I’m working hard, I deserve a beer’,” he shared. That reward became a destructive habit, leading to the loss of two marriages and strained family relationships. “I’d leave home in the dark and come back in the dark. I was being selfish.”

Drinking became embedded in his lifestyle, including his hobbies. Restoring cars with friends often meant drinking, and he came to associate alcohol with community and culture. “It was just part of life,” he said. “But it was wrong, and now I realize that.”

In July 2023, Abel came back to the program after facing not just addiction, but deep personal loss. His sister, after enduring multiple amputations due to diabetic complications, passed away. His brother-in-law died soon after. Then his son was violently attacked and almost paralyzed in Las Vegas. “A few years ago, I would have gone looking for that man,” Abel admitted. “Now, I put it in God’s hands.”

What changed?

Abel credits the faith-based structure of the program, the support of staff, and God’s grace. “The staff here—they give their time freely. They teach God’s truth, and every time I hear a scripture, it speaks right to where I’m at.”

One piece of advice made all the difference: “Worry about yourself.” In past attempts, Abel struggled with frustration over others’ behavior. “I used to try to run my own program,” he said. “But this time, I let go. I’m minding my own business and focusing on my walk with Christ.”

Today, he reflects on each day with peace. “I used to be a fighter. Now I find myself walking to work, thinking back on the day before, and saying, ‘Good job, Abel.’ That’s never happened before.”

At 61, he’s rebuilding slowly—considering work as a service technician and staying involved in outreach. “I’ve had two failed marriages because I was selfish,” he reflected. “Now I want to build a stable life. The rest will come if it’s supposed to.

“I’m just someone loved by God,” Abel added. “I want to be a memory, not a statistic.”