Jordan’s Journey: A Journey from Rock Bottom to Renewal

 Jordan’s journey into recovery didn’t begin with a moment of clarity. It began with loss—layered, heartbreaking loss—and a long, painful unraveling that started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, Jordan was working at a gas station. His mom lost her long-time job due to pandemic shutdowns, but decided it was time to retire when her health started to fail. For two years she was sick off and on, so Jordan and his fiancé of seven years took care of her as best they could. During this time, Jordan began drinking more heavily to cope.

In August 2022, things appeared to be improving. Jordan, his mom, and his fiancée moved into their own apartment—their first true home together. But only a few weeks later, the relationship with his fiancée fell apart. Jordan was left reeling. He spiraled into depression and anxiety and was placed on medication.

Then, right after Thanksgiving that same year, he found his mom deceased in their apartment. "I believe her cancer came back, and she just never told me."

After that, he stopped caring. He was working as a bartender—a good job—but drinking consumed him. He lost the job a few months later and, eventually, the apartment. Jordan bounced between friends' couches before contacting a friend, where he hoped for a fresh start. Instead, he fell deeper into drinking.

In April 2023, Jordan entered a Christian-based rehab program. But five and a half months in, when he asked to transfer to sober living, he was unexpectedly kicked out. Hurt and disillusioned, he returned to the streets. He worked briefly at s pizza place and then—with a little help and his first paycheck—bought a one-way plane ticket to Myrtle Beach to reconnect with his ex-wife and their two teenage kids.

But his drinking hadn’t stopped. He had an argument with his 15-year-old daughter and was arrested later for public intoxication. “That was the last day I drank,” Jordan says. “That was the nail in the coffin. I knew I was done.”

Soon after, he arrived at New Directions, at first just for overnight stays. But on January 20, 2025, he officially entered the New Directions Pathways Program, and everything started to change.

New Directions gave Jordan more than just a roof over his head. It gave him structure, accountability, and a safe place to focus on his recovery—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

“The classes here are really good,” he says. “They talk about brain chemistry, decision-making, addiction—how to understand your own behavior and rewire your thinking. I even go to classes on my days off sometimes, just to check in.”

Through New Directions, Jordan reconnected with mental health services and found new stability in routine and community. He was also able to keep his job at Circle K—thanks to a compassionate boss who had experienced homelessness and addiction herself. “She held my job for 30 days while I entered the program,” Jordan says. “That meant everything.” Jordan began attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings regularly and hasn’t missed a meeting.

New Directions didn’t just support Jordan’s recovery; it helped him begin dreaming again. With stability came savings—more than he’s ever had in his life. He plans to move into sober living next, and though he’s tempted to return to bartending, he’s also considering a new path: becoming a certified peer support specialist.Jordan hopes to use his story, and his struggles, to guide others.

He’s slowly rebuilding his relationship with his kids. My daughter talked to me the other day,” he shares. “She’s still angry, but I told her, ‘I’m just trying to do the right thing.’”

He’s also reconnecting with his spiritual roots. “I became a born-again Christian in North Dakota,” Jordan says. “But when I relapsed, I lost that connection. Now I’m building it back.”

As for anyone still on the streets who might be hesitant to come to New Directions, Jordan has a message: “This place gives you hope. It’s not true that you must give up all your stuff. That’s just for overnight clients. When I came in, I had a backpack and a suitcase. What you do have to give up is the cycle—doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting a different result. That’s insanity. If you want something different, this is the place to start.”

Looking back, Jordan sees how far he’s come in such a short time—and how vital New Directions was in making that change possible.

“There’s nothing better than being mentally, spiritually, and physically healing, he says. “Not fixed—but healing. This place gave me the chance to find that healing.”