I'm Living Now...
by Christian Piatt

Frederick Douglass once said, “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” Many residents at Samaritan House have faced tremendous adversity, and likewise, many have overcome incredible personal challenges. But few have experienced the range of struggle and success that Chuck Potter have.

A 39-year-old native of Fort Worth, Chuck was all too familiar with the local territory. His first experience with drugs came when, at nine years old, his babysitter got him high. By high school, he used drugs every day, and by his late twenties, he began injecting drugs. For Chuck, drugs were not only an all-consuming addiction: they were his entire identity.

Within a year, Chuck contracted HIV from sharing a needle, although he didn’t learn of his status until 1996. By then, Chuck had a felony record, had been in and out of treatment a number of times, and saw no other future for himself that didn’t include drugs. Surprisingly, Chuck claims that among the chaos and hopelessness in his life, HIV was the best thing that ever happened to him.

“Being diagnosed saved my life,” says Chuck. “I don’t think I would have ever stayed clean if I hadn’t gotten HIV.” He learned of his positive status during a stay in a lock-down rehabilitation center. Local health department officials visited the center, sharing information about staying clean, and about the risks of needle-sharing. They also offered free HIV tests to anyone who would participate. With nothing to lose, Chuck agreed.

Two weeks later, Chuck discovered he had AIDS.

Though the reality of his status was a shock, he was not entirely surprised, based upon his past history. Once the initial disbelief wore off, Chuck experienced a revalation.

“Physically, emotionally and spiritually, I am a better person (now),” he explains. “Before, I was just a drug addict. Now I’m a person with AIDS, trying to make a difference.”

Newly diagnosed, homeless and due to be released from treatment, Chuck had to come up with a plan. Without an address or prospect for a job, he might be held at the center indefinitely. Chuck knew too many people who had gone from treatment to halfway houses, only to relapse among old, familiar users. He learned about Samaritan House after being diagnosed, and thought it might be a more promising option.

The initial interview for residency was humiliating. In order to leave the treatment center, Chuck was required to dress in an orange jumpsuit, much like the ones worn by county prisoners on work detail. Despite his self-consciousness and concern about his record, Chuck tried to be authentic with the Resident Council. To his relief, they accepted him directly out of treatment.

From October of 1996 until January of 1998, Chuck took incremental steps toward reinventing his life. He decided that he wanted to teach school, but his criminal background prohibited him from doing so. Instead, he leaned toward counseling.

“God has worked in wonderful ways for me,” he says. “At first, I was very angry about having to switch to social work, but within two weeks, I realized it was exactly where I needed to be.”

Chuck graduated with his Associate’s degree this year, and was accepted on a full scholarship to TCU, where he is now working on a degree in social work, with an emphasis on criminal justice. He aspires to continue on to graduate school, hopefully working for an organization that will help him complete his schooling. He now lives on his own, has saved enough money to buy himself a car, and continues to volunteer in the community. He has lectured in local high schools through Help Education Learning Project about the risks of drug use at an early age, and he regularly visits with the current residents at Samaritan House.

“If not for Samaritan House,” says Chuck, “I don’t know what would have happened. I had nowhere else to go.” He credits his time at Samaritan House with giving him the confidence and skills to live on his own and go back to school. “I had thought about going to school, but I was scared. I didn’t ever want to make long-term commitments. Now I don’t know how long I have to live, but the point is, I’m living now. I have the opportunity to do whatever I want.”