In this episode of The Homeboy Way, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fabian Debora, Inez Salcido, and Jose Arellano to explore what recovery truly means at Homeboy Industries. Fabian reflects on his personal journey with addiction, while Inez shares how her team prioritizes stabilizing housing and relationships before addressing substance use. Jose discusses how Homeboy’s strength lies in trust, which guides individuals toward help they may not yet believe they deserve.

At Homeboy, recovery is about more than just overcoming addiction; it's about seeing the person behind the pain and offering hope. This episode reminds us that transformation is possible when we walk together, believing in each other’s potential.

Key Takeaways

• Recovery starts with compassion, not control.

  Healing begins by meeting people where they are, focusing on stability, safety, and community before anything else. Compassion creates trust, which is the foundation for healing.

• Addiction is a disease, not a defect.

  Substance abuse often stems from deep trauma, and recognizing it as a disease helps foster empathy rather than shame, allowing for a more holistic view of the person.

• Suffering leads to surrender.

  Real recovery often begins when control is lost, and surrender happens in the midst of pain and rock-bottom moments. Faith and healing are born from this surrender.

• Recovery is a way of life.

  Recovery is an ongoing choice to live with honesty and purpose, using tools like the 12 Steps to rebuild life, not just abstaining from substances.

• "Spoonfeed" recovery; don't force it.

  Recovery should be presented as an inviting choice, empowering individuals to take ownership of their journey, rather than feeling punished or coerced.

• Love never gives up.

  At Homeboy, relapse or failure doesn’t mean giving up on someone. The team welcomes people back with patience and hope, believing that every setback is part of the journey forward.

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction to Homeboy Industries

• 00:29 – Demystifying AA and NA

• 01:30 – Challenges of substance abuse

• 02:16 – Approaches to recovery

• 03:19 – Personal stories of addiction

• 05:29 – Building trust and relationships

• 12:39 – The role of rehab and medication

• 19:01 – Spirituality in recovery

• 26:48 – Living the 12 Steps every day

• 31:39 – The importance of community support

• 33:17 – Understanding harm reduction

• 42:14 – Debating marijuana as a gateway drug

• 47:56 – Concluding thoughts on recovery and support

Notable Quotes

• "When you try to push someone and force someone into recovery or rehab, immediately you can lose the battle there." — Fabian (08:18)

• "Recovery is a lifestyle. It's not just let me go to rehab. I'm good for now. We got to learn this new way of life." — Inez (12:48)

• “We have more access to controlled substances than we ever have. I think big pharma has contributed to that." — Jose (02:00)

Resources and Links

Homeboy Industries

• https://homeboyindustries.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos

• Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/

Homeboy Media 

• https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/

Fabian Debora

• linkedin.com/in/fabian-debora-886279a

Jose Arellano

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-arellano-001966a0/

Thomas Vozzo

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo

Additional Resources

• Alcoholics Anonymous

• Narcotics Anonymous

• Al-Anon Family Groups