I am writing this letter to thank a group of unsung heroes in our local community. Two years ago I was a lost cause. I was a man who had been overtaken by an addiction to meth and heroin. My life was going nowhere and I was headed to prison or even worse, death.

Society had given up on me years before. I had been in and out of jail, rehabs and prison my whole life and that was all that was seen in my future. While sitting in jail on yet another charge I was seen by Mary Wolfinger. She decided to take a huge risk on me and actually try to help me with the underlying problems that were causing my addiction and unacceptable behavior. With help from Mary, judge Mitchell and a whole team of counselors and clinicians, my whole life has changed for the better.

I now have a year and a half clean from all alcohol and drugs. I am the manager of a local business and I am happy to say a taxpaying citizen in our community. If it weren’t for Judge Mitchell, Mary Wolfinger, and the rest of the mental health court team, I would just be another number in prison burning up the taxpayers’ money. I owe my life to this program and I am thankful for the group of people who make this program available. And I think they deserve many thanks from me and our community for all they are doing to make our community a safer and better place. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

THEODORE HARPER

Coeur d’Alene