My name is Sgt. Christopher L. Pearson, United States Army. I was active duty from June 1991 to June 1995. I am a recovering alcoholic who lives in a 12-month recovery program, and am a student driver for the program. Until recently, my only experience with the Coffee Bunker had been when I was dropping off a fellow student at the Bunker. I would come inside for a few minutes, then leave till it was time to pick him up again. Soon, I was invited to go on “Hike for Heroes.”
During that weekend I came to realize that I was missing out on part of my life; I was missing spending time with my fellow vets. During that weekend I spent some much needed time with men who had the same memories and same stories about those memories. I made friendships with men I can depend on, that I believe will last a lifetime. Since the hike, we have been meeting at the Coffee Bunker to reminisce about our service and the new memories we made during the Hike. I look forward to those evenings at the Bunker; they have given new meaning to my life. I look forward to those times each week. Without the Coffee Bunker I would have never opened the door to be helped, and in turn to help other vets find that part of their lives to be a positive experience, and to be able to share those experiences with other vets.
Sincerely,
Sgt. Christopher L. Pearson
United States Army