
“It took me about three months to realize my potential. I could see the difference in clients’ faces after the third or fourth week, and they got all the medication and treatments as well, but the healthy and nutritious food made the most visible difference. There was one lady in her 50s, she was in very bad shape and she was living on the streets a long time. So she started her detox with us, and on her second day, she came to me at the counter still shaking from the treatment and said: “Mark, I couldn’t tell you the last time I had cabbage… Thank you!” I got very emotional. I thought I really do have a mission with what I do… I’m not a chef in a fancy restaurant, but here I feel important and those happy faces smiling back at the counter are worth more than anything!”
Head Chef in Dublin Simon Community Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services