Having your own space and stability is a key step in recovery. Rennie Johnson, a Marvel Way resident, knows firsthand – and begins by telling us, “Getting a job and moving to Marvel Way catapulted me back into society as a regular functioning person.”
A year ago, Rennie Johnson moved into Marvel Way, TEC’s sober living private apartments. After a series of health issues, including heart surgery and a stroke, left him unable to work and living in a shelter, having an affordable, permanent home at Marvel has helped Rennie focus on his health, on both his physical and spiritual recovery. He’s working at Raley’s, walking without a cane, reconnecting with church life, and building his sober community.
Here’s a peak at his journey – and what he’s learned along the way:
Johnson’s Younger Years
Rennie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Reno about 20 years ago. He was raised in a conservative church family and, at 18, tells us how he broke away and started to make his own choices – some right and some wrong. He drank and smoked weed in his 20s and tried meth for the first time around age 30. He shares, “I went into it willingly as a weight loss drug. I was fully trying to fool myself. At some point, it grabbed a hold of me, and I couldn’t function without it. It numbed me when I didn’t want to feel pain or emotions.”
Johnson worked in retail sales, at a music store, then selling electronics, then office furniture, and thoroughly enjoyed the social aspects of his work. When he moved to Reno, he began working warehouse jobs. He had moved here to get away from some trouble and stayed away from it for a couple years, until he got to know a different crowd. Then, “it was kind of like being on a roller coaster,” he told us, “until my heart decided it was time to run.”
Time for a Change
One day at his warehouse job, 6 years ago, Rennie remembers slowing down and having trouble breathing. His team stepped in and helped get the work done so he could rest. They wanted to dial 911 right away, but Rennie said he was OK. At the end of the day, when he wanted to go home, his housemate (and coworker) insisted on taking him to the hospital instead. It was a Wednesday. By Friday, he was in surgery.
Rennie had been on the verge of a heart attack. He was in his 40s at the time and immediately, he recalls, “‘I realized that if I wanted to make 50, if I wanted to make 60, I was going to have to change.” The hospital referred him to a primary care physician, and he was honest with her about his substance use and what he knew needed to change in his life.
Rennie stopped using meth cold turkey and, 3 years later, stopped drinking as well. Breaking his addiction took a few tries, as his doctor warned him it might. Ultimately, when Johnson succeeded, he says “a lot of it was people, places, and things. I had to get rid of people. I had to change where I went. I had to do things different in my life.”
From Stroke to Homeless Shelter
A year sober, Rennie suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered. He was in the hospital for 5 days, a rehab center for 30, and spent a couple years in outpatient rehab, including vocational and physical rehabilitation. He couldn’t walk. He lost fine motor control over the right half of his body, which meant he had to learn how to do everything with his non-dominant left side – including writing and eating.
He couldn’t work, especially in the physical warehouse environment he’d been employed by since arriving in Reno 20 years prior. He applied for disability, but never received it.
Rennie’s housemate continued to be his friend and a positive and sober influence in his life. However, when his housemate’s family moved in with him, Rennie felt out of place and moved out. He had funds to keep himself housed for a little while – but eventually had to move to a homeless shelter.
Finding Support through Reno Works
In the shelter, Johnson connected with Reno Works, a workforce development partnership program between Volunteers of America and the City of Reno. It was the catalyst for moving him forward. The program helped Rennie identify what types of work he could still do well and prepared him to interview successfully.
Rennie was hired at Raley’s as a Courtesy Clerk, where he’s bagging groceries, pushing shopping carts, and helping out as needed. Similar to how he enjoyed selling music, electronics, and furniture in his younger years – once again Rennie is enjoying interacting with customers. “I love my job because it gives me public interaction. I’ve always been friendly and I love talking to people. I don’t look down on ‘I’m just a Courtesy Clerk,’ because without Courtesy Clerks, you can’t go shopping. When I do my job well, it makes a difference.”
Moving to Marvel Way
Through the supportive services Johnson received, he learned about the Marvel Way Complex and was encouraged to apply. A year ago, after he began working at Raley’s, Rennie moved into his private, one-bedroom apartment at Marvel. He recognizes how Marvel’s given him the space he needs to continue to improve his health.
At Marvel Way, Rennie tells us, “This is a calm, quiet place. It’s your own spot, your own space, your own quiet, your own meal prep. You can make better choices here – in every aspect of life.” In the shelter, Rennie was sharing a dorm room with as many as 100 people and was constantly subjected to everyone’s business. He had to hear screaming in the middle of the night and – whether permitted in the shelter or not – tune out the substances being passed around. He was always around other people, both inside and out, and it made moving ahead in life nearly impossible.
At Marvel Way, Rennie has access to not only the basics (independence, privacy, and access to public transportation), but a support system. He’s especially appreciated getting to know our Housing Director, Richard. He notes, “Richard makes me accountable. We talk every day. Being accountable to this place is very important to me.”
Finding Church & Community
Today, “life is good, God is good,” shares Rennie. “This past year, I really dug deep, I really surrendered to God. And with that, it propelled me forward.” Rennie not only attends services, but regularly participates in church activities – like potlucks and men’s group meetings. Most of his social life revolves around food, not alcohol, and he especially enjoys celebrations like his church’s New Year’s potluck. Outside of church, he also enjoys karaoke (and wishes there were more non-bar opportunities to sing) and video games. But, most of his friends are through his church.
For Rennie, church continues to be key to his sobriety and personal growth. He finishes by telling us, “What works for me is being in the church. You can do it on your own, it’s possible, but it’s not the easiest way. I can say now, because I’ve returned to Christianity, that I have no desire to go back. I have zero desire to ever use again. I have zero desire to ever take a drink again. I’m not addicted to anything. I was an addict, but I’m not anymore. I’ve blown past that and God rose in my life.”