NEW PORT RICHEY — For more than 20 years, Kevin Tidema was lost in a cycle of addiction, jail, and homelessness.
“My parents died. I lost custody of my children, and I went on a downhill spiral,” said Tidema.
Late last year, instead of putting him in jail again, he said the New Port Richey police helped him get treatment.
“I was talking with my son, and he was like you go to jail every year Dad. I’m like I know,” Kevin said.
One of the most important parts of Tidema’s sobriety was finding a job.
That’s where Take 5 General Manager Nicholas Sperbeck comes in. He hired Tidema with no experience and trained him to work in the garage.
“In this shop, I focus on it a lot because I have a lot of people that go through the program that Kevin did, and I have hired a couple of them, and they’ve been very successful. A couple referred them, and more come in,” Sperbeck said.
Now, Sperbeck has hired more than ten people with stories similar to Kevin’s. This gives them income to live independently and some much-needed stability.
“I’m tired of everybody seeing the white part of my hand where I’ve been taking and taking. So, it’s time to see the brown part where I can give back,” Tidema said.
Tidema wants to give back by helping others in recovery, and his boss is doing the same. He said the risk is worth the reward.
“At the end of the day, doing something to better the people around me is definitely worth it and seeing them grow as people and mature so. I don’t mind doing it. It’s not as risky as some people see it,” said Sperbeck.
Sperbeck said other Take 5’s have hired people in recovery, and he’d like to see other businesses do the same.
The New Port Richey Police said they can help people get off the streets and connect with programs that will help them turn their lives around.
“I feel if I can do it, everybody else can do it because there’s tools and resources to help us out there to get back on our feet and to be part of the community again and to try and make an impact out here,” Tidema said.
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