RICHMOND, Va. -- John Westbrook is a Richmond native who overcame addiction and homelessness with the help of M3 Bridge Recovery.
"I was addicted to a lot of substances," Westbrook said. "I was without hope. And I'm standing here for you today, a year and six months later, I have a lot of hope. I just stepped out on faith, and I trusted this organization."
M3 Bridge Recovery is a Virginia-based nonprofit founded by Wade Runge, a pastor and retired Marine veteran in long-term recovery.
"I wanted to give back to help save lives," Runge said. "There was a need out here. I'm hoping one day there won't be a need. I'm hoping one day we'll come up with solutions for addiction, but in the meantime, I just know that we need to continue what we're doing."
Runge said addiction is a disease, and having proper support when someone wants to overcome it is a necessity.
A Regional Recovery Day event will be held on Sept 30th from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Henrico Sports & Events Center. Resources from Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield and Hanover will be available.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
