Meet this week’s “Special Person of the Week:Keith Laporta

My name is Keith Laporta and I am a heroin addict. After being incarcerated for nearly nine years, and facing up to an additional twenty-years in prison, I was released on an ankle bracelet to a sober living environment. Since then, I have been in recovery for around four years.

Before changing and dedicating my life to helping others like myself, I was in the deepest darkest place of my life due to the disease of addiction. I grew up in a single family home due to my father being shot and killed by a police officer in a police station in 1988. My family’s’ lives took a turn down the wrong path. My whole life I been in and out of institutions, foster care, juvenile detention centers, and nine years of my life behind bars. However, I overcame all of that and found a new way to live. Due to 12 step fellowships and a sponsor who has carried the message of recovery on to me, today I am a motivational speaker and a huge advocate for recovery. I like to help people turn their lives around for the better. I received my Recovery Coach Certification through the Somerville Police Department and their class with CCAR. I am an aftercare coordinator and case manager at The Dimock Center Acute Treatment Services Program in Roxbury, Massachusetts. I am married to my beautiful wife of seven years, and together we have two beautiful daughters and live a healthy and productive life. I have two full-time jobs, and am able to show up for life today substance free, with kindness, love, joy, and forgiveness in my heart.

Today I dedicate my life to helping my peers and speaking up against the stigma that surrounds the opioid epidemic. A friend and I created a movement called #FckTheStigma. With the help of social media, this movement has become really well-known throughout the country. What we do is try to encourage addicts to reach out and ask for help. We inspire people to not be silent about what they are going through.  People will not be able to guide you and help you find a way out of the grips of addiction if you speak up! If you are out there and you are struggling reach out for help. There are many people out there that are willing to help you!

“I know that one person cannot change the world, but if I can change the world for one person, then that is what I am going to continue to do. That is a beautiful success to me!”

Our hats are off to his true Somerville spirit!

We here at the Somerville News Weekly salute you for everything that you do to make Somerville a better place.

Congratulations!