Randy Mortensen
Randy Mortensen
Episode 192 – Tom Wolf, Recovery Advocate
Episode 192 – Tom Wolf, Recovery Advocate
Episode 192 – Tom Wolf, Recovery Advocate
Wednesday 24th January 2024
Join Randy Mortensen as he interviews Tom Wolf about his journey from heroin addiction to recovery advocacy and drug policy reform.
30 minutes
Hopeful
Transformative
Informative
Empowering
Supportive
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Author:
Randy Mortensen
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Religion & Spirituality
Family Recovery from Addiction
Sexual Empowerment & Identity
Creative Recovery Journeys
Body & Mind
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Get the buttons here!Tom Wolf: From Addiction's Grip to Advocacy's Frontline
Episode Overview
- Tom Wolf shares his journey from heroin and fentanyl addiction to recovery and advocacy.
- He reflects on the impact of addiction on his family and the pivotal moments in his recovery.
- Tom discusses his advocacy work, focusing on drug policy, recovery, and homelessness in San Francisco.
- Through his powerful testimony, Tom encourages individuals to seek help, embrace recovery, and strive for a better future.
I started off, you know, like I said, I got married in the late 1990s to my wife. And after a few years, we had kids. I have a daughter and a son. They're both teenagers. My daughter is 17. My son is 15. Thank you. And in early 2015, I was working for the city and county of San Francisco as a child support officer. So I used to actually go after dads that didn't pay their child support and try to get them to pay up. That was my job. And it was a very stressful job. I was the bad guy a lot of the time at my job. And I won't say that was what got me addicted to drugs, but it sure didn't help in that I was always under a lot of pressure. It was a high stress job and very thankless work.
Tom Wolf’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to rise from the darkest depths. Once entangled in the throes of heroin and fentanyl addiction, Tom spent six harrowing months homeless on the dangerous streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Arrested six times for holding drugs for street-level dealers, he eventually found himself behind bars for three months. But it was here that his path took a turn.
Following his release, Tom entered a six-month inpatient treatment program with The Salvation Army, where he began to rebuild his life. Now celebrating five years of sobriety, Tom is not just a survivor but a passionate advocate for recovery and drug policy reform. In this episode, Randy Mortensen sits down with Tom to unpack his incredible journey. Tom shares the struggles he faced, the pivotal moments that shaped his recovery, and the unwavering power of faith that guided him through.
He opens up about the impact of addiction on his family and the critical importance of seeking help. Tom’s advocacy work doesn’t stop at his own recovery. He has founded The Pacific Alliance For Prevention And Recovery (PAPR), a non-profit aimed at addressing the ongoing overdose crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area. His story underscores the need for comprehensive support systems and policy changes to help those battling addiction.
Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or interested in the broader issues of drug policy and homelessness, Tom’s story offers hope, inspiration, and a call to action.