Interview Summary: Matt Talbot

Finding Strength in Brotherhood

This group conversation took place at the Matt Talbot Recovery Center, where men in various stages of recovery gathered to share their stories, lessons, and hopes for the future. Each voice carried years of lived experience — from first use to relapse to rediscovery of purpose. The dialogue reflected the deep pain and perseverance of men who have lost nearly everything, yet continue to choose life and accountability.

For some, addiction began with injury and prescription pills; for others, it started with childhood trauma, peer pressure, or loss. But every man present spoke of one shared truth: change is possible when people care enough to stay.

Learning Quotes

“Every time I came, I learned something new. Each day I stay, I see something different.”

“You can’t fix what you won’t face. Every relapse taught me something I didn’t learn the first time.”

“I want my soul back. I want my spirit back. I want my family back.”

“Narcan saved me five times — but love and faith are what’s keeping me alive now.”

“I don’t want to die getting high. I want to live clean and see my kids grow.”

Conversation Overview

Men shared stories of survival that stretched across decades — from Rolando, who described addiction as losing his “spirit and mind,” to Leland, who has cycled through programs for more than 20 years but now says, “this time, I’m done.” Others like Dion and Linwood recounted overdoses and being revived by Narcan, while Eddie reflected on grief and the need to “be sincere to the heart.”

The conversation was raw and redemptive. Participants spoke about how shame, guilt, and stigma make recovery harder, and how most people “don’t understand what it takes to stay clean.” They praised peer support and programs like Matt Talbot for providing both structure and belonging — a place where “somebody really cares enough to tell you the truth.”

Key Learnings

• Brotherhood builds belief. Every man emphasized how group connection and accountability help them rebuild trust in themselves and others.

• Faith and gratitude fuel recovery. Several spoke about divine intervention and moments when “God showed up” to pull them back from the edge.

• Relapse is not the end. Many men described relapse not as failure but as part of learning — a reminder that recovery takes daily effort.

• Stigma still isolates. Participants called for more compassion and fewer assumptions about addiction, especially toward older men reentering society.

• Programs work when they feel human. They credited staff and peers at Matt Talbot for treating them as people, not cases — “because somebody believing in you can keep you alive.”

Insight for Systems Change

The Matt Talbot dialogue revealed that for many men, recovery begins when they stop being invisible. They don’t need more judgment or punishment — they need stability, dignity, and people who won’t give up on them.

The lessons shared here show that harm reduction, faith, and human connection are not competing strategies — they are all part of survival. By listening to these men, Milwaukee County can continue shaping programs that meet people where they are, extend grace through relapse, and build recovery rooted in respect.

Healing happens when men are allowed to be honest — and still held with hope.