THE ASPIRE BLOG

For the past year, Michael Burke has dedicated his career to Aspire Indiana Health as a Community Healthworker and primary driver of MACY, Aspire’s mobile clinic unit — Mobile Access Care for You. A smile spreads across his face as he talks about his job, transporting patients to their appointments or to other various Aspire services. Prior to joining the Aspire team, he drove for RCA (Recovery Centers of America); however, when MACY became operational, no one was better fit for the job than Michael Burke. 

In fact, his journey with Aspire began long before he started driving MACY.

Michael Burke has been sober for five years. Sobriety was a long and tumultuous journey for him — in and out of Progress House multiple times, even including some unhoused days, living primarily on Monument Circle. “I go back once a month to my spot to remember,” he says.

Michael had his first drink at 17. The alcohol took hold of him. “I lived for alcohol,” Michael somberly recalls.  For years he operated as a functional alcoholic, got married, and had a career. Eventually though, he and his wife divorced, and he lost his job. Soon enough, he found himself unhoused and permanently on Monument Circle.

Eventually, a member of the PourHouse helped Michael reserve a spot in Progress House to work toward sobriety. Michael went to Progress House but quickly resumed drinking and found himself back at Monument Circle. Michael repeated this process two more times. In 2020 when COVID-19 was raging through the United States, Michael found himself back at Progress House. The staff announced that if the residents stayed, they had to really commit to the program with the dangers of COVID lurking every six feet. 

Michael made a decision that would impact the rest of his life: to commit. After 10 months of sobriety, he awoke one day with a sudden epiphany — “I’m the problem.” In that moment, Michael was able to grasp firmly onto his sobriety and find solid ground. 

Once Michael completed the program, he found a new purpose in life. He committed to helping others, as he knew all too well their experiences. Michael’s passion beams as he talks about his work on MACY. One story in particular that he shared involved two people outside the library who wanted to get sober. He talked to them about their options, and while they initially wanted to go together, they ultimately decided to take different paths — one going to Mockingbird Hill and then to Progress House. 

Now Michael awakes each day with service at the forefront of his mind: “How can I help?” He specifically finds gratitude in helping other unhoused individuals, understanding fundamentally what they need. 

Michael has found other passions as well. He enjoys cheering on the Butler Bulldogs. He jokes, “I tried running for four minutes once, and then thought I’d better work on my personality instead.” Michael’s lighthearted nature makes his story that much more impactful. The work he has done and continues to do for Aspire is powerful. Thank you, Michael!