There's no telling what leads anyone to a life of drug use and poor decision-making — the two often walk hand-in-hand. But when Jesse Dalla Riva hit his lowest bottom, he did something remarkable: at his darkest hour, he heard a message that led him to turn his entire life around.
Jesse tells the The (Arizona) Republic that his addiction began with painkillers but eventually escalated to heroin. Repeated arrests for theft landed him in prison for a year, after which time his release put him right back where he started — he got high on cheap methamphetamine. He was homeless and helpless with nowhere to turn.
But support from a friend landed him in Phoenix Rescue Mission, where he says he "wanted to die." That is, until something clicked.
Sitting in on a sermon in the Mission chapel one evening, Jesse says the pastor said something that immediately caught his attention.
“He said, ‘I’m here tonight because there’s someone here thinking about killing themselves,' ” Jesse tells The Republic.
It was after that moment he began his journey to recovery. Jesse began studying the Bible and became a leader in his community. He also won a $100,000 college scholarship to help get him back on his feet.
"It means everything to have the scholarship," he says. "I just want people to know who're in similar situations that all isn't lost."
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