NEW PORT RICHEY — For more than 20 years, Kevin Tiedema was lost in a cycle of addiction, incarceration and homelessness.
“My father died. I lost custody of my children and went into a downward spiral,” Tedema said.
Late last year, instead of being put in jail again, he said New Port Richey police helped him get treatment.
“I was talking to my son, and it’s like, ‘Dad, you go to prison every year.’ I know,” Kevin said.
One of the most important parts of Tedema’s sobriety was finding a job.
This is where Take 5 Managing Director Nicholas Sperbeck comes into play. He hired Tidema with no experience and trained him to work in the garage.
“At this store, I focus on it a lot because I have a lot of people who went through the program that Kevin did, and I hired a couple of them, and they’ve had great success. A couple have referred them, and more are coming in,” Sperbeck said.
Now, Sperbeck has named more than a dozen people with stories similar to Kevin’s. This gives them income to live independently and some much-needed stability.
“I was tired of everyone seeing the white part of my hand where I was picking and eating. It was time to see the brown part where I could give back,” Tedema said.
Tedema wants to give back by helping others recover, and his boss does the same. He said the risk was worth the reward.
“At the end of the day, doing something to better the people around me is definitely worth it and seeing them grow as people and mature as well. I don’t mind doing that. It’s not as risky as some people make it out to be,” Sperbeck said.
Other Take 5 companies have hired recovery people, Sperbeck said, and he would like to see other companies do the same.
New Port Richey Police said they can help people get off the streets and connect with programs that will help them change their lives.
“I feel like if I can do it, anyone else can do it because there are tools and resources to help us get back on our feet and be part of the community again and try to make an impact here,” Tidema said.
Your voice
ABC Action News anchor Paul LaGrone is out to get your vote out after another contentious election. He asked voters how they felt and how Americans could come together over the next four years and beyond.
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