Discover Jack’s Journey to Sobriety

After years of struggling with alcohol, gambling, and homelessness, Jack was desperate—and ready—for a new life. He registered with NH 211, and they were able to connect him with Harbor Care. “They understood that I wanted to be on my own,” he said.

“You’re not free [when you’re homeless]. You always have to wonder where you’ll put your head down at night. Where am I going to go? What am I going to eat? It never stops. It's not an easy life out there.”

At 69, Jack worked for 40 years as an executive chef at the iconic Riviera Hotel Las Vegas, home to celebrities like Liberace, Louis Armstrong, and Kenny Rogers, whom he met personally. He said the Riviera was his home and family. When the hotel closed in 2015, he returned to New England to live with brother, but his family kicked him out due to his excessive drinking. He soon found himself homeless and living at the Southern NH Rescue Mission. When he couldn’t quit drinking here, he returned to Nevada.

“I had a serious drinking problem. I had money, but I was drinking it away. And then blowing money in the casinos, gambling like crazy. I tried to kill myself with alcohol.”

In Las Vegas, he suffered a major coronary, requiring extensive bypass surgery. Years of alcohol abuse had damaged his heart, teeth, and overall health. “I almost died,” said Jack.

He returned to NH in a beaten-down state. But through programs at the rescue mission, he finally gave up alcohol and has been sober for two and a half years. Upon his return, his case worker at Harbor Care introduced him to a team of advocates, who quickly assessed his needs and started making plans to improve his life. “They’re wonderful, wonderful people. They did the paperwork for me, the background check, the whole nine yards.” A few weeks later, they moved him into an apartment. He pays a portion of the rent from his social security, and Harbor Care uses designated funds to pay the remainder.

Today Jack receives primary care, uses the pharmacy, and sees the dentist at the Harbor Care Health & Wellness Center in downtown Nashua. He volunteers as a cook at the rescue mission. “They entrusted me with the kitchen at the mission. I’m a member of a church. I have a pastor and a mentor who actually talks with me.” And he is close with his family again.

“Yesterday, I talked to an individual living at the mission and looking for housing. I told him your best bet is Harbor Care. They will take care of you.”