“I’M A STRONGER PERSON NOW” | Gerardo's Story

How to start saving money

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Why it is important to start saving

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How much money should I save?

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What percentege of my income should go to savings?

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Gerardo was introduced to drugs when he was just 12 years old. That moment put him on a downhill track that would turn into a decade of addiction.

Gerardo grew up in a single-parent household. After his parents divorced, his mother had no other choice but to work long hours to provide for her kids. The lack of supervision pushed Gerardo to seek relationships and a sense of belonging elsewhere.

“I didn’t receive the love I needed from my parents. So, I found friends I thought cared about me,” says Gerardo. That’s when the drinking and drug use started. It wasn’t long before Gerardo was spending his teen years in juvenile hall.

After his release, Gerardo continued an off-and-on use of drugs and alcohol. It took meeting his wife and becoming a father for him to drop his deep-rooted habits. “Once I had my first kid at 20, it changed me,” says Gerardo. “I stopped using cold-turkey.”

For five years, Gerardo was sober and doing well. He and his wife had more kids, and his history of addiction felt like it was finally behind him. But he started spending time with old friends. Before long, Gerardo was hooked on drugs again.

CAUGHT IN A VICIOUS CYCLE

For seven years, Gerardo was caught in a routine of using drugs, doing well for a while, then using again. Throughout that pattern, Gerardo introduced his wife to drugs. Eventually, CPS got involved, and their five kids were fostered to Gerardo’s mother and sisters.

“We did what was required of us to get our kids back, but my wife and I were still getting high,” Gerardo says. “For some reason, the struggle never made us quit. We weren’t ready to let go of the drugs.”

The struggling parents eventually got their kids back and were doing good for a year before addiction got the best of Gerardo once more. He was moving through life as a functioning addict, reluctant to give up his ways.

“I DON’T KNOW WHERE I’D BE . . .”

Gerardo was in jail when CityTeam was presented to him as an option. He decided, “I’m tired of living this way. It’s time for a change.”

Since coming to CityTeam, Gerardo can see a drastic difference in himself. He’s motivated, reliable, and growing close to God for the first time. He was given the opportunity to learn trade work in electrical engineering, achieve sobriety, and unlock his God-given potential.

“I’m a stronger person now,” he says. “I want to change my life around and be the dad and strong husband my family needs. I don’t know where my family or I would be right now if CityTeam didn’t give me this opportunity.”

Gerardo is thankful for clean clothes, a roof over his head, and a relationship with God. At CityTeam, he was able to receive the essential care he and many others need to restore their lives for good.

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