Tracy Pennywell had a tragic start to his life. His Mother was killed in a car accident when he was just three months old and he never knew his Father. Orphaned, Tracy was taken in by his Aunt, who legally adopted him when he was 8. Although he was a mischievous child, he always kept his grades up, was able to finish High School and started taking classes in the AC/Refrigeration trade.

Tracy experimented with drugs and alcohol at a young age, but it never became a problem until he was introduced to crack cocaine. In 1984, he became addicted to crack cocaine while working as a school bus driver. “It got to the point when I needed it all the time; I started missing days of work, and started to spin out of control.”

Tracy tried several times to reach out for help. In 1991, he moved to Texas thinking that relocating would solve his problems. However, things got worse. In 1997, he was arrested for aggravated robbery and was almost sentenced to 35 years. By a stroke of luck, he signed a deal to serve 7 years and was released in 2004.

After Tracy was released, he relocated to Los Angeles. He went into a drug and alcohol program and was able to remain clean and sober for 5 years. He started his own mobile detailing business, but then the disease of addiction got the best of him and he began using again.

It wasn’t until Tracy came to The Midnight Mission that he started learning about recovery and working a 12-step program. He only intended to stay at The Midnight Mission for 90 days, but completed the program. He has been clean and sober for 2 years now and works part-time at The Midnight Mission as an assistant to the Medical Director.

Tracy says “The Midnight Mission has given me a chance to really think about what I want to do with my life, see my self-worth and to be an example not just to my family but to those around me. It gave me a chance to help others and help those that were in the same position I was in. It helped me to set goals and I’ve never been able to do that before.”