We are all broken.

Every one of us knows what it’s like to suffer, to struggle, to grieve, to lose hope.

I certainly do.

I’ve rode in the back of ambulances as they raced against the clock to save me from an overdose. I’ve ruined finances by putting my cocaine addiction ahead of rent, utilities and credit card payments. I was told by a doctor at a hospital that my HIV status had progressed to the point where I nearly had full-blown AIDS. I’ve lost many, many friends and lovers to drugs and alcohol. Someone once shared an old photo of me and about 10 other regulars who drank every night at our favorite bar— and I counted seven of them who had died.

So yeah, I know what it’s like to feel broken. But I also know what it’s like to make a comeback— to come back from a broken place. I believe in my heart that, as long as we’re above the ground, there’s still hope for recovery. 

We can recover.

That’s why, in 2020, I created a podcast about recovery and comeback stories called “Back From Broken.” Because we’re all broken at some point. And in a profound way I find that beautiful. It’s beautiful because in this day and age where there’s so much division and polarization, one thing we have going for us is empathy. When you tell me your story about feeling broken and how you got better, I hear my own journey in yours. And someone else, maybe it’s a loved one, maybe it’s a stranger, hears their own story in the one you just told— and that story then becomes someone else’s survival guide.

And from that, we build a foundation for healing and hope…

A Back From Broken Foundation.

Vic Vela
Executive Director, Founder