James Shea never thought he’d be where he is today.

Better known in his community as “Murph,” Shea has battled addictions for nearly his entire life, dating back to his childhood.

"I grew up in an alcoholic home and the story goes, [you] are never going to be like them, and I ended up being worse," Shea said.

Shea eventually found help, and years later, his story of recovery inspires others. Today, he’s helping others as a certified addictions recovery coach. At Voices Recovery Center in Binghamton, Shea leads recovery meetings, support groups, and even meditation for those battling addictions.

"I can never repay back the amazing men that helped me early on because I didn't have a clue how to live life at that point. I really did not. And they showed me by example. They didn't tell me what to do. They shared their experience. And I get the privilege of doing that every day," said Shea.

Voices Recovery Center offers Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, group counseling and a food pantry, among other things. Shea takes a holistic approach in those he’s helping, and says he gets just as much out of the program as they do.

"People ask me, ‘how come you've been doing this long? This long for so long?’ I said, ‘because someone did it for me. And I think it's my responsibility,’ ” said Shea.

As National Recovery Month nears its end, Shea says it’s all about taking that first step.

"It's hard to walk into a new place. It's hard to walk into a place where you're newly in recovery and put up your hand, say, ‘I need help or I'm new here, what can we do?’ And they'll come in. We welcome them, we give them coffee, whatever they want, and get them involved in a community of recovering people in this area,” said Shea.