DAYTON — A man who battled heroin addiction for years is feeding the homeless this Thanksgiving.
“It’s a little emotional to do what I’m doing, right, because I never thought I’d be in a good place in my life to be able to give back,” said Derek Beasley, who works at Angie’s Firehouse Tavern in Dayton.
After helping plan a Thanksgiving menu for the restaurant at 703 Watervliet Ave., he came up with the idea of feeding the homeless and those struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. “I just got the bright idea that I want to give back and create a bag lunch to give out on Thanksgiving,” he said. After reaching out to some friends, food donations came pouring in.
Beasley said he knows firsthand how the holiday season is rough, especially for addicts and the homeless. He said wants to bring hope to people who are struggling, but also reach people who may not understand the problem with addiction.
“When I hear people judging them, I just think we’re all one or two decisions away from being in the same spot,” Beasley said.
Restaurant owner Patrick Reed said it is important to give people a second chance, just like he did Beasley.
“We have him a shot. Of course, we went round and round a few times but he has just come so far,” Reed said.
Beasley said he hopes he can be an example to others trying to get back on track.
“I go to school. I’ve stayed clean from all drugs and alcohol. We do recover,” he said.
Looking ahead, Beasley said he wants to get others involved so he can feed even more people next Thanksgiving.
