PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Cecil Solaguren's path to heroin use is not uncommon, but his outcome is.
A broken collarbone led to prescriptions for painkillers. Cecil's reliance on the painkillers grew stronger — so did his need for cheaper, more potent drugs. He began using heroin.
"I couldn't function without heroin," said Solaguren. "I couldn't get out of bed; I'd go to work just steal money or steal something or make my day's pay so that I could continue to support my habit. That's all that mattered."
He spent six days detoxing at Milestone Foundation in Portland. He found a job through the company MaineWorks, an agency that hires ex-cons and people recovering from substance abuse and connects them with construction-based jobs. 18 months later, he is now the company's operations manager.
"I turned the idea of not hiring felons into only hiring felons," said founder and owner Margo Walsh. "The biggest hurdle is: how do you get back out of jail or prison and start in society?"
Inherent in this process between MaineWorks, the employees, and the companies they serve is trust.
"I believe you either trust people or you don't trust people," said Walsh. "We have a healthy dose of realism, and we make sure we go through a process with each individual guy and vet his intentions. Now that I have other addicts in recovery evaluating the new guys, that's the best screen possible."
Solaguren is one success story. Walsh admits the company is not the perfect solution to the opioid crisis. Employees come and go. Walsh said about 46 percent of those hired from 2016 through 2017 stayed with MaineWorks past one week. But within that group that stayed, 42 percent are consistent, shaping new futures without drugs.
"My main drive, my main purpose to stay where I'm at now is because I know that the next guy that walks through the door, I'm going to have something to offer him," said Solaguren.
He remembers the 'teach a man to fish' proverb as he performs his daily duties: checking on employees on job sites, handling payroll, and being a role model for men who once stood in his shoes.
"Yes, I'm going to give you a fish today, but tomorrow I'm going to teach you how to catch it," said Solaguren. "I want to prove people that it's possible, so that keeps me sober now."