David was a drug addict and dealer. When he was arrested, he was given a choice of going to prison or going into a program. He chose Hope Center. He had contracted AIDS from using needles to inject the drugs. At first, he expressed doubts about the program; he was sure he’d be back on the streets doing drugs.

But after meeting with the medical staff and counselors regularly, he started to believe in himself. Medications reduced his viral load to the point where his HIV was undetectable. We reconnected him with his family, who he hadn’t seen in six years. He was convinced to continue his schooling, ultimately earning a degree from a junior college.

“They showed me that my life doesn’t have to be so miserable. I’m clean and I’m doing things—thanks to Hope Center. They’ve given me a second chance.”