My name is Dan O'Connell and I am an Alumni of the Mainstream House. In August of 2005 I entered a treatment facility caught in the grips of drug addiction. While at this facility I decided to do whatever necessary to stay clean and was referred to Bobby Hartmann at Mainstream House In Riverhead Long Island. In my active addiction I gave it all away my family, my career, and my spirit. I convinced my mother for one last shot and came up with the deposit for a room in the house. I left my playgrounds, playmates, and playthings behind and traveled 170 miles from my last home the streets of Danbury Ct. As I traveled down the L.I.E. to Riverhead the mixed emotions of fear, doubt and self pity raced through my head. The stories of recovery houses being dirty, run down, and dangerous were on my mind. when I was dropped off with 100$ pocket money and a check made out to the house I knew it was do or die. To my surprise I found a clean well kept house in a good neighborhood. The men in the house welcomed me and treated me as one of their own right off the bat after all they were just like me.

    The structure of the house and comradery in the first couple weeks kept me going I got a job in my profession 2 weeks into my stay. Bobby's strong belief that attending 12 step fellowship meetings and getting involved with commitments in those fellowships are the core of long term recovery has helped keep me clean for 2 years and 4 months as of today. I only planned on staying in the house for the 4 month commitment, God had other plans. I celebrated my 1st year while at the house and left 2 weeks later. The tools I learned in the house has provided me the ability to live and enjoy life as other people do. I learned responsibility, respect, and to enjoy life without the use of drugs. I still have the same job today and have received 30% pay raise over the 2 years that never happened before. I live in a house for more than a year on my own that was never possible before. I have made lifelong friends. Most of all I live with dignity.

  The recovery in the Riverhead area is outstanding the meetings are everywhere N.A. or A.A. The meetings keep me clean but it was the fact that I had a safe clean environment to go home to that gave me the ability to stay. The fact that I lived with guys that were struggling to make it on there own made the bond between us unbreakable we became family. We learned we were not alone and that together nothing could stop us.

    The life I lead now never would have happened if I had not gone to The Mainstream House. I never did return to Connecticut I have a house with my name on the mailbox in the Town of Southampton Long Island, Remember I was a homeless addict living on the streets 2 years and 4 months ago. Today I can say I went from homeless to the Hamptons in 1 Year if you don't believe in miracles just believe that I believe in them. A homeless man living it up on the beach who woulda' thought ? Bobby did!

   I found myself homeless once again, hungry, desperate, and suicidal I made my third attempt at a rehabilitation facility. Going in I remember having absolutely no hope for any kind of future and at this point my will to live had been completely diminished by numerous failed attempts at recovery. I got there and for the first few days I maintained the same hopeless outlook on life. My mental anguish was comforted only by thoughts of death. Feeling like I had nothing to lose I confided In a staff member about my situation and was told that that if I were to put in the foot work I may have a chance of getting into a recovery house. The foot work consisted of one phone call to Robert Hartmann of Mainstream House, and I found out that there was a spot open. The skeptical individual that I was I doubted that this would do any good for me. At that point I was convinced that I was too far gone to be helped and had absolutely no clue how to help myself. I herd something in Roberts voice though, the same thing I heard in that facilities staff member, a sense of caring. I Told Robert that I was interested and he took the time to come to the facility and explained what his program was all about. I must admit that my initial motivation was only to have a roof to sleep under for a few weeks.

     After just a five days in rehab I learned that because of insurance reasons I had to leave. I called Robert and he came to get me. We pulled up at one of the houses and I was pleasantly surprised at the well kept condition. My amazement continued to the inside where I met the individuals that I would be living with. I was welcomed with open arms and felt a sense of belonging right away. Two weeks turned into four, four into eight and so on. I found myself with months of clean time and a good job that Robert had actually gotten me. The two weeks I planed to stay in September of '05 turned into eight months in the mainstream program. I moved into my own place and continued that same job for the next year.

     Today I own my own business and the structure that I learned In the Mainstream house has become a part of my everyday life. I have money saved because I have hope for the future and I believe I will have a good one. I lead a honest life and go to sleep every night wanting to wake up. I sometimes cant believe all I have achieved and then remember it wasn't so hard to do with a little help.