It took Andre 63 years to finally get to this place in his life: a quality job, stable housing, a reliable vehicle, strong relationships, and a healthy mind, body, and soul. While this may be a less-than-exciting yet important goal for most Americans, for people with a substance use disorder, having basic necessities and living a balanced life can be a tremendous challenge.
“I spent decades as a functional addict, landing back in jail and prison over and over, not learning from my mistakes,” says Andre. “I suffered, my family suffered. It’s not a life for anyone.”
It took a lot of hard work and perseverance for Andre to get to where he stands today, but the veteran from New York and New Orleans, respectively, was never going to give up.
Raised in Westchester County by good parents alongside his two younger sisters, Andre joined the Marines after graduating high school and was shipped to the Philippines. He says that his experiences on the other side of the globe showed him another side of life – one of poverty, sadness, and blight.
Upon discharge from the service, Andre, who was anti-drugs for his entire life, decided to try them with a friend, and that began his descent into a man who would travel aimlessly with no direction, who gave up his soul for a substance and a temporary high.
“I didn’t recognize who I’d become,” Andre says. “An addiction steals your will, your integrity, and makes you prioritize drugs over everything else in life. Eventually, it all came crashing down.”
At 53 years old, Andre found himself in a federal prison serving seven years. That’s when he knew it was time to change.
Andre came home in 2025 a sober man, and he’d spent his time inside planning his successful reentry. He was living in a shelter in New Orleans when a friend referred him to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), and he began working on a transitional work crew, beautifying the French Quarter while saving his money the best he could.
But he didn’t get comfortable. “I met with a CEO job coach weekly and built a resume. I did mock job interviews. There was nothing that was going to stop me from moving forward, and after three months I was offered a position working for the Downtown Development District in New Orleans, cleaning and doing maintenance,” says Andre.
Once he paid a fee and transferred his driver's license to Louisiana, he started at his new job. Within a month, the city helped Andre rent an apartment, covering first and last month's rent and security deposit.
These days, Andre’s daily routine starts at 9 a.m. with breakfast and then some errands. He shows up to his job early each afternoon for the second shift, starting around one o’clock. "I meet a lot of people working downtown. And I like that we work outside, being in the fresh air doing something different every day," Andre says.
Financial stability has transformed him, yet Andre lives on a strict budget. Rent is high but about average, and utilities are included. He pays for groceries and car insurance. "I’m able to support myself, but I’m looking for a new apartment that's less expensive," says the veteran.
"I wanted help and needed it, and I found CEO at the right time," Andre says. “The staff looked for opportunities for me, and the daily pay was crucial for someone in reentry.”
Data from the Prison Policy Initiative shows about 60% of formerly incarcerated people are jobless in the first year of release from prison; programs like CEO improve those outcomes with transitional work, job coaching, and by offering work experience for resumes.
Andre’s success – staying sober, managing his expenses, and maintaining employment – is a testament to what hard work and support from an organization can achieve, and his reentry has been a good experience from day one.
“It’s ok to be scared when you get out, but you have to take it one day at a time and it will be alright,” Andre says.
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