Employee Spotlight: Tim Maestas
A resident-turned-food service worker at Progress House, Tim Maestas continues to give back to the place that helped give him a fresh start and bring back his smile.
Tim Maestas has been in the pursuit of progress his entire life. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Tim excelled in high school and earned himself a full ride to Miami University. Like most college freshmen, Tim was excited to move to campus, meet people and start his classes. College campuses are always buzzing with something exciting to do — welcome weeks, homecoming parades, football games and parties. Lots and lots of parties. And at these parties, alcohol and drugs are often passed around like candy on Halloween. Sweet and abundant. Tim started to find himself spending more time drinking and smoking marijuana and less time attending class and doing his school work. Eventually, his grades fell below the requirement, his scholarship was rescinded, and Tim was academically dismissed from Miami University.
Hopeful for a fresh start, Tim decided to follow his brother and move to Indianapolis. He got a job at a gas station, and soon he found himself with a second job at a neighboring liquor store. While his time at college was challenging, Tim has always been a good and reliable worker. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was about to get himself into.
While working at the liquor store and gas station, Tim met a girl. They started hanging out, and she introduced him to crystal meth. Admittedly, Tim was naive about harder drugs and even tried fentanyl a few times. Lost in the haze, Tim made the rash decision to quit one of his jobs. His brother had moved back to Ohio, so Tim had no place to live. He began living in his car, and then he started hearing voices and found himself increasingly paranoid.
Finally, Tim knew he needed help. In 2022, he began his journey toward sobriety. After a short stint in a rehab center, Tim gave up crystal meth but still continued to drink. He reached back out to the original rehab center he attended, and they connected him to Mockingbird Hill. And after 28 days in the Mockingbird Hill program, Tim moved to Progress House.
His smile now stretches wide as Tim talks about wanting more from life. “From ages 18 to 34, I wasted my life on drugs and stupid stuff.” Now he’s taking back control of his life. Progress House has become Tim’s safety net. Resident-turned-food service worker, he knows better than most what the residents are going through. While he continues to give back to the community that gave him a second chance and a new outlook on life, he’s dreaming about his future. Tim recently applied for a passport and looks forward to traveling to Italy and Japan soon.
Progress looks different for everyone. Tim has made immense progress on his journey and continues to do so. His story is inspiring, and his smile is infectious. Life drips from him effortlessly now as he continues to work toward his new future and write more of his story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y1Dzvz1zPc
