I Am Joe Pellow

Addiction I am Joe Pellow, Alcoholic. . . 2003

I am Joe Pellow, Alcoholic. . . 2003

thepellowhouse April 1, 2015Addiction, Joe's Story

I said the words for the first time in 2003. I am from a proud, hard working Edmond family. I was popular in school and was always the life of the party. I grew up in a nice two story house and my parents provided everything a child could want or need. Yet at 36 years old I found myself in an 8 by 10 concrete cell. My family would not speak with me, I had embarrassed them terribly. I thought to myself as I sat in the cell “Lord how did I get from there to here?”
Yes, I have always been a man of faith and believe the good Lord answers prayers; however that day the lord sent one of his helpers to get me back on the right path.
Jim Riley, a family friend, signed for me to get out of jail and arranged for me to go to in-patient drug and alcohol rehabilitation. I have been sober since February 24th, 2003! However it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. In sobriety you have good days and not so good days, but nothing as bad as you had while you were living in your addiction. Over time I became close with my family again. I became an even better follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. I also developed a special relationship with Jim Riley that has led me to where I am at now in my life. If it were not for Jim, I would not be running four mentoring & sober living houses. I don’t think I would be running anything. I would be locked up or covered up. It took someone of Jim Riley’s stature both physically and emotionally to look me in the eye and ask me if I was “tired of being a looser?”  Jim let me know that I had lost all my dignity, integrity, trust and honor, while explaining that my word meant nothing.  Yes I felt low, but this was the rock bottom that I bounced off of.
Rob Liddell was a great guy from a great family.  He married a friend of mine from high school.  Rob struggled with some of the same issues I did, so I could identify with him.  Rob’s last phone call was to his dad on his way to a prison boot camp.  Rob’s conversation went “Thank you Dad for always being here all these years and sending me to all 37 treatment centers.  Dad when I complete this boot camp I want to open sober living homes to help others.”  Unfortunately Robbie was not one of the lucky ones, he did not make it.  Rob had gone to a prison work camp and because of his past use of drugs his heart gave out in the hot sun.  When Robs father, Dick Liddell, was sharing this story with me, I knew then that God had chosen me to carry out and fulfill Robert Clay Liddell’s dream!
Rob’s family named two treatment centers after him, Clay’s Crossing and Rob’s Ranch, and started a foundation in his name. Rob’s story continues to save people to this day.  Because of Rob Clay Liddell, the Jim Riley OUTREACH mentoring and Pellow houses have had over 400 men come through the program, and 82 percent are still sober!