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Kent had smoked crack cocaine for nearly 20 years.
Dope did the trick: It softened reality's rough edges. Kent knew there was a better way, but crack held him prisoner.
Kent, who is in his mid-40s and didn't want his full name used, recently told me his story at Gastonia's Cornerstone Christian Center, a nonprofit residential rehabilitation program for men with alcohol and drug problems.
What he had to say sounded familiar enough. He'd come from a broken home, felt rejected and methodically wasted every opportunity. He drifted into a drug culture described in words I saw scratched on a slum wall in California years ago: "Smoke crack, Jack, and never come back."
Kent doubted he ever would. He told me about winding up in prison, serving two years for breaking and entering. Looking ahead at that long jail stretch must have scared him. He started thinking seriously about turning things around.
When he got out of prison about a month ago, Kent wanted to stay drug-free. He was referred to the Cornerstone center, where he can live for 18 months. The program includes clinical counseling by licensed specialists along with daily classes in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
"I want to grow and find out who I am," Kent said. "I want to learn how to live without picking up dope."
As things turned out, Kent arrived at Cornerstone about the time the therapeutic program faced the worst financial crisis of its history.
Executive Director David Fogle said Cornerstone could lose $350,000 from its Community Support Services, a Medicaid-funded program eliminated this year when the N.C. General Assembly cut the state Department of Health and Human Services budget.
Cornerstone's total budget is $450,000. When the ax falls, Fogle said, it will take a "big chunk." All this is probably coming down by June 30, 2010, he said. The upshot: Cornerstone may have to curtail services for people like Kent, cutting back on counseling and possibly the number of beds.
The center has a waiting list for men wanting to get into the four-phase recovery program. The residential program serves about 30 a year and the mental health side 50 to 60.
The former church building on East Fifth Avenue has room for 18 clients, but it is limited to 12 because the kitchen needs upgrading to the tune of $100,000. With a staff of 11, Cornerstone offers a full rehab program while many residents have day jobs.
Started in 1985 by a group of concerned citizens, the private, nonprofit Cornerstone center has never had enough money and even shut down in 2000 because of financial problems. The program rebounded in 2002, moving forward with grants and contributions from churches and individuals.
The Community Support Services element was added 21/2 years ago, offering professional mental health counseling to people in Gaston, Lincoln and Cleveland counties. Referrals are screened by Pathways, a mental health agency serving those three counties.
Charlie Peninger Jr., chairman of Cornerstone's board of directors, said the budget cuts came without warning. Some sort of replacement program is in the works for the one that's been cut by the state, but "meanwhile, we're struggling," he said.
Leaders are trying to find solutions. They are exploring grants and fundraising projects. And they've come up with this: An appeal is going out to 50 area churches, asking congregations to pledge $1,000 per year to cover Cornerstone's operating costs.
"That'll keep us going for a little while," Peninger said. "We'll possibly have to scale back, but I don't see it (the program) going away. We're taking in guys really at rock bottom with nowhere to turn."
'They gave me a chance'
Not long ago, Trevis hit rock bottom. A 40-year-old alcoholic, he bounced around from job to job for 15 years before he finally landed on the street.
"I came here a month ago and they gave me a chance," said Trevis, who asked me not to use his full name. "This was my last hope. I don't know where I'd be."
His take on Cornerstone's financial crisis: "I don't understand why anybody would let this place go under."
Neither do I. I hope churches respond to the call for help, and that businesses and individuals can also chip in. Money, food, volunteers - anything would be appreciated. This can buy Cornerstone time and keep its doors open until a more permanent solution comes along.
