February 21, 2007
"To Whom It May Concern:
I’m writing this letter to share some truths I know about the WINGS program in the Nevada prison system. I was in the first graduating class of the WINGS program in 1998 and was a mentor in the following class. This perhaps was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. You see 1998 wasn’t my first stay in the prison system and at that point in my life I was sure it wasn’t to be my last. Needed help and I knew it. This program became available to me and I (volunteered) for it. The program began and I participated to the best of my ability. Things begin to happen for me, they taught me that.

I was a worthwhile person, that I had value, and that I was able to be loved and to love. They taught me that racism was nothing but ignorance. They taught me that anger and violence was a secondary emotion. They taught me how to recognize the primary emotions and deal with them. So I did not have to have negative effects for emotions I didn’t know how to recognize. They taught me about truth and honesty, they taught me about spirituality, they taught me about myself and they taught me about compassion.

They taught me how to play team sports; they taught me how to do for others without expecting anything in return. They taught me how to live life on life’s terms, they taught me about consequences for my actions. They taught me how to take responsibility and they taught me how to live a drug-free life without jails, institutions or death. When Dorothy North came to Warm Springs yard and gave her speech on how longs she’s been trying to implement a program such as this in the Nevada prison system I was amazed. In 1998 she stated that for 23 years she tried to get this program into the system, and it had finally happened. I thought to myself, how could one person have so much compassion for people like me. I believe this is when the change really started to take place and I asked myself, what can I do to help. This is when I became a mentor and under the direction of the counselors. I did what was asked of me and presented myself as a person that had been relieved of the grips and devastation of drug addiction and alcoholism – nothing more nothing less.

I was released from prison in May of 2001, and I have not been back to prison since. Today I work for Dorothy North and Ester Quilici of Vitality Unlimited. I have a two-year-old son who loves his father very much. I work with alcoholics and drug addicts on a daily basis and try to give back everything that was so freely given to me. All of this is a direct result of the Wings program."

Sincerely,
Chuck Odom

April 2008
Randy from Reno, NV
Randy is celebrating one year of sobriety. He is doing great and "could not have done that without Vitality Center," he says. In May he will be 31 years old and now works for Greyhound. Randy claims Vitality Center was "heaven sent". He loves the program and is very grateful for the help he received to get his life back together.