This story really doesn't want to focus on the negative things that happened to me in my life but would rather talk about the positive things that accorded since I was accepted into the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. The only reason I am mentioning Alcoholics Anonymous is to really put the credit where it belongs. AA is the origination that saved my life.

In 1980, when I got into the program of AA, I learned very early in my recovery was how to get out of myself. The only way to do this was to help others with the same disease I had. That disease is called Alcoholism. In the first 3 months I started trying to help the suffering alcoholics buy working them in the little tree trimming business I had going. After about a year of helping the people that I was helping I had an idea to start a house. This house would be designed to help get the alcoholics off the streets. All they needed was the strong desire to stop drinking and a willingness to work and become responsible for their own actions. That was in July of 1981.

I went to the man that would hold my head under water in a half full bathtub or beat me till he passed out. Even at one point, pushing my right hand into a pot bellied stove. That is what was used to heat the house where we lived in Troy, Ohio. The man that use to beat me thirty years ago played a big part in saving my life when I got sober. This happened on July 24, 1980. Dad was good at steering me in the right direction when I was puzzled about what to do in my life. He would give me some real good advice. I came up with the idea to start a clean and sober home for the alcoholics to live in early in my recovery. It was about September of 1981 I went to dad and said "Dad, why don't we start a house that will help the alcoholics that want to help themselves?" Six little words opened my eyes to the fact that I was not ready to tackle this calling. Those words were "Gary they'll just break your heart." To deal with alcoholics in that manner would take time and knowledge about this problem call alcoholism. I only had a year sober and was still a baby in the life of recovery. In the year that I had in recovery, I had learned to listen and follow suggestions. These are two important factors in learning how to live clean and sober.

I kept this idea in my mind and would share this with everyone that I talked to for years. When I talked to friends that needed help, I would try to entice them to get involved with me and start this home for the alcoholics. I was looking for the right time. My father passed away in 1986 and I always remembered what he had told me about the sober home that I wanted to start. "Gary they'll just break your Hear." That kept me looking and praying to God to open my eyes when it was time. I needed to do this and I wanted it to be right.

I talked to two friends in November of 1987 and mentioned that they should choose one of two properties located in the middle of the crack area in West Palm Beach, Florida. I told them that they could take it and start helping others stay clean and sober. This way they would be helping themselves to stay positive in their recovery. They had known how I felt about the subject and what I wanted to do for years. They went and looked at the two properties and chose the better of the properties. Both of the properties had been ordered to be demolished by the city in the near future. They worked on it and opened it up to become a living space for people who wanted to stay clean and sober.

In July of 1988, I went to California to visit my brother and he asked me, since dad died in 1986, why was I still living in West Palm Beach when all my family lived in either Lakeland, Florida or California? All I could say was that I had been sober for almost 8 years and I got my sobriety in West Palm Beach. I told him that I had family there. I also told him that I really wanted to start a clean and sober home for Alcoholics and drug addicts that want to help themselves. Michael, ask me if I wanted to start something to make money or charity. I just told him that it really didn't matter to me and that I just needed to do it for me. I also said that I wanted to fly the United States flag on the property in respect of our father. He did help save my life.

When I got back to West Palm Beach, I just kept doing what I did in my life and was still thinking about the sober home that I needed so desperately to start. On September 15, 1988, I went to Mike and Dean's sober house that was located on a street in the city where the drugs were sold every night and day. I had a friend of mine with me. The two men had been doing what I needed to do for 10 months and I envied them so. When Dean threw the challenge to me that day, it happened. He said with a laugh, "Gary, why don't you take the house next door and make YOUR sober home that you keep talking about?". You can imagine how I felt. Buck (my friend) and I walked over to the demolished old house and went in. The front door was half off its hinges and most of the second story windows were busted. As we walked into the house I didn't notice the rats digging around in the pile of garbage located in the middle of the dining room until Buck pointed them out to me. All I saw was the Florida Cypress ceiling and a dusty old fireplace.

The words that came out of my mouth really confused Buck. All I said was "This is beautiful." I started to tell Buck what I saw. I saw a home that was located 4 blocks from the Triangle Club, an AA meeting place that met every day at noon and 8:30 P.M.. There was a Publix supermarket a mile and a half away and the bus lines were a half a block away. I told Buck that it was perfect. I was so excited about this rubble of a house that Buck thought I was nuts. We walked around the house and the more excitement that I showed in the thought of starting the house, I could feel Buck's excitement also. This was God's work because I have never seen Buck get excited about anything. Well maybe a pretty woman walking by, but that was about it.

We walked upstairs and saw that the crackers used the upstairs for the human waste department of the house. I call crack users crackers. We tiptoed around the rooms and the aroma was enough to get you sick. We then proceeded to go back down stairs and by forcing the door open, we found ourselves out in the back yard.

The back yard was all grown up with weeds and real low hanging branches. The yard was full with the inside materials like the tubs that came out of the house. There was stoves, hot water heaters, furniture and anything that came from the crackers tearing out walls to get the copper out to sell for money to buy crack. The walls and wood working that was torn out of the house and glass from the windows. It was like there was someone already starting to demolish the OLE house. It was just the crackers tearing the house down.

I walked out in the back yard and was so excited again. I told Buck, and I quote, "Look Buck. We will be able to have a BBQ pit out here and a patio. Look we can have horse shoes and a volley ball court." Again, my excitement got Buck excited too. At that moment I asked him if he wanted to be my partner. HE SAID YES. Picture the condition of the house that I just described to you and throw in a negative person that has little money talking to a dreamer with NO money and tell me what you think. Is God doing His thing or what?

When Buck told me that he was going to be my partner I felt confident that we were on our way to becoming in the business of 'People Helping People'. On September 16, 1988, I went to the owner of the building on 8th street in West Palm Beach, Florida and begged for a chance to help people. I told him what I was going to do and he felt like I was an angel sent to him so save his house. Especially since I said that I would fix the house up and furnish all materials. He gave me 5 month rent paid. That totaled about $4000.00 and that didn't even cover the materials that we had to buy. It cost more for the labor. We didn't know at the time that the city was watching this property and didn't know that the houses were only going to be on 8th street about one more month and the city was going to tear them down.

On the 17th of September, I called my partner and told him that we were the proud owner of a business to help people. It sure is funny how a person can lose excitement in just two days. He didn't sound too excited. I guess he was waiting for me to ask for money.

This is the way that Born Anew got started in the 'People Helping People' business. God climbed into my little pea brain and put a man in my path that would make me comfortable to take on a venture like this. He had some money, God knew that I had no money. God touched Buck's hear and had him say YES, he'd be my partner. This is GOD'S program and I am His worker. That is how God works.

Gary Lee McGarity
Chief Executive Officer