Richmond man once ‘addicted to a lot of substances’ now has ‘a lot of hope’

RICHMOND, Va. — John Westbrook is a Richmond native who overcame addiction and homelessness with the help of M3 Bridge Recovery .

“I was addicted to a lot of substances,” Westbrook said. “I was without hope. And I’m standing here for you today, a year and six months later, I have a lot of hope. I just stepped out on faith, and I trusted this organization.”

M3 Bridge Recovery is a Virginia-based nonprofit founded by Wade Rungee, a pastor and retired Marine veteran in long-term recovery.

“I wanted to give back to help save lives,” Rungee said. “There was a need out here. I’m hoping one day there won’t be a need. I’m hoping one day we’ll come up with solutions for addiction, but in the meantime, I just know that we need to continue what we’re doing.”

Rungee said addiction is a disease, and having proper support when someone wants to overcome it is a necessity.

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