Meet Tim
“When I finally accepted and understood that alcohol was at the root of my problems, I started making some steps in the right direction. Pioneer’s staff guided me to the services I needed on a few occasions when I started slipping – they really cared enough to make sure my personal needs were being addressed to get me on the right track again.”
Tim ran pretty wild in his primary years. He started smoking pot at 10 and getting into trouble. By the age of 16 he was arrested, mistaken for an adult and sent to jail. Upon discovering his actual age, he was sent to a juvenile detention center that did not manage to curb his appetite to play hard and party. He started drinking alcohol at 16 and from that age until his mid-40’s he can’t remember life without a drink in his hand.
At a young age Tim also developed a passion to ride horses. His love for riding turned into a career that spanned for nearly a decade. As a lean, young man he became a jockey, horse trainer and exercise rider at Longacres Racetrack in the Renton Junction. He rode at many of the tracks across Washington State. Unfortunately, his drinking did not subside and the racetrack lifestyle only fueled the fire.
When Longacres closed in 1992 he moved on and worked as a fisherman in Alaska and a few other jobs, but the drinking got in the way and he would eventually lose the jobs. Tim and his girlfriend ended up in Utah and things took a turn for the worse when he committed forgery to get some cash. His DUI’s also caught up with him and he was arrested and served 18 months in prison in Utah. When he was released he fell into the same pattern back in Seattle and was arrested again. This time he was sentenced to the federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon where he served 18 months again.
Tim’s personal journey with Pioneer started when he was released from federal prison and sent to Pioneer Fellowship House – the residential reentry center in Seattle.
“The staff was so hands-on and I really grew to trust them. Everybody worked to position me for success on my exit. They referred me to Pioneer’s construction team where I was hired and trained, and I received all three certificates for completion. When I started to relapse, they rallied around me and got me into treatment. Staff hooked me up with transitional housing in Tacoma and MRT training at Tacoma counseling. I have to say that the MRT training really resonated with me and has helped me in my recovery.”
Currently, Tim works in Pioneer’s construction division and lives in Pioneer’s permanent housing with his partner and daughter. “I know that the Pioneer housing staff and construction team are there for me. My success is their success.”
