C.J. came to The 24 in April 2023 ready to recover and embrace his Brand New Start. He was hired as the Kitchen Supervisor in 2024.
How did you get started with drugs and alcohol?
I was introduced to alcohol at around six. I had my first beer when my grandpa gave it to me. By the time I was 12, I was smoking weed and doing heroin with some of my uncle’s friends because they were big into it.
How did you end up at Dallas 24 Hour Club?
I ended up at Dallas 24 Hour Club after doing 6 months at Gateway which is in Wilmer, TX. It's a judicial treatment center and while I was there, I was trying to figure out where I was going to go and didn't really know anything in this area and someone mentioned the Dallas 24 Hour Club had good pancakes. So I called and they said there weren't any spots but I kept calling and finally got a spot on April 25, 2023. There are 24 lockers upstairs but there are 25 mats and I was the lucky number 25 to get that last mat.
What does Recovery mean to you?
Recovery means everything to me. It's a new beginning. It's a new life. It's every opportunity that I've ever screwed up, given back to me, all by doing just a little bit of work.
What is your greatest achievement?
Staying sober.
What is your greatest blessing?
My family.
Finish the sentence “If it weren't for Dallas 24 Hour Club…”
I would not be alive today. I would not be where I am today. I would not be the person I am today. If it wasn't for The 24, I would be dead or in prison and I know that for a fact.
What is one thing you want people to know?
It works if you work it. I know it sounds cliché, but if you actually put some effort into it good things happen.
C.J. lives with his wife, Lucrecia, and their daughter, Izabella. He enjoys cooking and cherishes his role as a dad, finding joy and fulfillment in spending time with his family. His next goal is to get two fish and name them Hank and Frank.
Fun Fact: C.J. and his wife were married at The 24!