10/14/2026
We’d love to take a moment to highlight Step Resident Jose, who sat down with us to share his story:
"I thought I could do it on my own. I thought I was doing okay. I was able to hold a job still, then alcohol entered the picture and it took a toll. I was drinking I don't know how many shots a day. I was drinking just to wake up.
"Eventually, I tried to off myself by taking pills and drinking and I ended up waking up in the hospital, upset. But even that wasn’t enough. Not even two weeks later, I was still at it.
"And then finally, I decided to go into detox. I'm like, ‘I know there's more to life than just numbing myself. I'm 40 years old - I'm not getting any younger.’ I already lost it all – my mother passed away, my grandma passed away, most of the family doesn’t even talk to me. I can’t let my mother – in some alternate universe – I can’t let her be disappointed in me again.
"I was going to go into this different program and then I saw Step Denver. I saw that they help you get on your feet. I came here, just kind of lost, and it's been great so far.
It’s all about that accountability, man. It's on me if I wanna mess up and throw away everything I'm working toward.
"The brotherhood here – it’s helped me out a lot, knowing that I’m not alone. There are people here with months – years of sobriety because of the Step program. They have a life now, a stable life. That’s what’s giving me accountability – the realization that there's no excuses. I could blame everything and everyone around me, but at the end of the day, it's my choice."
Jose on how Step’s Recovery Support Managers have helped hold him accountable:
"They’ve helped a lot, especially because they've been through the program and now they choose to give back. And being living proof that it is possible, and that they actually have lives outside of here. There’s people here I can actually trust.
"My girlfriend sees me in a different light now. This is the longest time in that relationship I've been with her that things are a lot better communication-wise. I'm not waking up to angry texts, or making her cry, or hurting her feelings, or feeling that sense of shame. She says she's proud of me."
Jose’s advice for the man going through a similar situation:
"Give it a chance. I didn't see past another day – but my mental health has gotten much better since I've been here. Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom – and even if you have, just give it a chance.
"I know that there's hope as long as I'm willing to give myself a chance and not go back out there again."
