GREEN BAY, Wis. — Vaushawn Johnson said he never imagined a sober life spending time baking cookies with his wife and two kids in Pulaski, Wisconsin. 

What You Need To Know

  • Johnson assumed the role of the Executive Director of Adult & Teen Challenge Northeastern Wisconsin (ATCNEW) in the fall of 2020

  • The mission of ATCNEW is to help individuals attain freedom from chemical addictions and other life-controlling issues by addressing their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs

  • ATCNEW has a 12 month men's recovery residential program

Johnson grew up in the inner city of Minneapolis. He said his troubled upbringing led him down the wrong path.

“My parents struggled with an addiction, which eventually in my 20s, progressed into me having a personal battle and struggle with addiction, that resulted in addictive behaviors and addictive lifestyle of crime,” Vaushawn Johnson said.

Even as Johnson helped his son Cyrus break an egg, he thinks on how he spent a broken portion of his life. 

“Being in jail, you really start to reflect and you really start to think about your actions and if you wanted to continue on this journey,” Johnson said.

Vaushawn wasn’t alone on this journey. His wife Christi Johnson has been by his side. Christi said she’s watched her husband push through tremendous adversity.

“I’ve watched him struggle. I've watched him overcome and get discouraging aspects of the last three years and then miracles happened. It's just been a really cool journey to watch,” Christi Johnson said. 

Vaushawn’s journey to sobriety started as a client of the Minnesota chapter of Adult and Teen Challenge. He Johnson said loved ones inspired him to get sober.

“I wasn't the father that I desired to be and I realized for me to be able to be who I needed to be required me to first change. So, I will say my family my children were my biggest motivator,” Johnson said.

Vaushawn said through his faith in God he’s now using his troubled past to help others. He’s now the executive director of Adult and Teen Challenge in northeast Wisconsin. It's a one-year men’s residential treatment facility. 

“Our mission is not about helping a person get sober, but it's helping a person see the significance and the value in themselves to go help others also come into recovery,” Johnson said.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was known for being an advocate for social change. Vaushawn said hopes he can honor Dr. King by offering some comfort and support to those struggling with substance dependency.

“I see myself maybe walking along the same lines as a man of faith as MLK to be able to help the people in Green Bay who can't fight for themselves who are struggling with chronic addiction,” Johnson said.

Vaushawn has a message to those stuck in the seemingly impossible world of addiction — remember how his life started and where it’s headed.

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