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Recovery in the News
Letter to the Editor
Mitzi Potz
Albany Democrat
January 25, 2008
My last letter was to encourage helping the homeless in our city and now we have others, including a city councilman, who are against the proposed Oxford House at Sixth and Ferry. People in recovery need to be in the atmosphere of living like a family. Would you propose building big compounds way out in the country for them and treating them like outcasts?
Perhaps Maxine Humphrey (Mailbag, Jan. 23) would like a home like that for the mentally ill as well. What is becoming increasingly clear to me are the people in our society who are so into themselves that they no longer are interested in the needs of those less fortunate.
You may say you have compassion, but do you? Have you educated yourself in recovery from addiction, or on mental illness? Compassion involves doing and becoming involved. It is not different than those who say, “I am a Christian.” The real answer is, “Are you being a Christian.” So do something with your compassion. I don’t live in Albany, but would be happy to trade homes with Mr. Olson and live in the same neighborhood as an Oxford House, and to get to know the people.
There are other people who would be willing to trade with you also. Mike Davis is a very kind and caring person. I first met him when he was about 15. He was a friend of my son Rick, who passed away last June. Both Mike and Rick knew about recovery from addiction and because they were successful, Mike has worked to pass the tools on to others in the same situation.
He has worked hard to fulfill the goal of helping others remain clean and sober. I guarantee that if one of these people was your son, sister, daughter, father or brother, you might feel differently, especially if you were able to see the progress of hard work it takes to become worthwhile, sober citizens.
I pray none of you ever have to walk a mile in their shoes, just like the homeless. You may think,“Not me,” but it could be someone close to you. I ask you to reconsider and learn how to be a part of making this work.