Jim Willfred is a man with extensive life experiences that have fueled his insatiable passion to help those afflicted with substance use disorders and to support other parents in avoiding the pain of losing a child as he has. Jim struggled with substance use disorder for 20 years until he broke free in 2004. He was honored with the Individual Achievement Award by Governor Bond for his ability to utilize help from government agencies to rebuild his life. Jim was invited to speak before 500 government agency workers, emphasizing the importance of their work.

Additionally, Jim was asked by the HeadStart organization to attend a weekend conference in Kansas City and then return to St. Louis to run a mentoring program, teaching fathers how to be effective parents. In 2005, he joined the Carpenters Union, spending 20 years as a Millwright. In 2006, just two years after overcoming substance use disorder, Jim purchased his first home and, for the next 16 years, housed people with substance use disorders in his own home.

In 2018, Jim founded "A Second Chance at Life." However, this endeavor faced significant challenges, including financial devastation and the loss of five immediate family members within a year. 

On June 20, 2023, Jim's son, Austin, was poisoned by fentanyl. This tragedy, combined with his life experiences and immense passion, led Jim to reinstate "A Second Chance at Life." He completely revised the company’s vision, now working not only for sober living homes but also for advocacy, legislative change, drug prevention education, and coalition building and collaboration. 

Though it is too late to save his own child, Jim dedicates his efforts to saving other children.

https://asecondchanceatlife.org/

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Decisions by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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