A talented poet and regionally successful hip-hop artist, James got caught up in a life of drugs and alcohol, and was convicted of a serious crime. As a result, he lost his career, his income, and most of his friends and family. While in prison, James started showing signs of Multiple Sclerosis.
When people hit rock bottom, they need a friend to help lift them back up. Amicus matched James with a volunteer friend who helped him make plans after prison. They helped James with housing, education, and employment options. James even attended college with support from an Amicus scholarship program.
James has called Amicus a bridge to the community and to hope — hope he has needed to push through his decreasing mobility due to Multiple Sclerosis, also known as MS.
“To me, MS means More Strong,” James said. “Nietzsche said ‘whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.’ More Strong. I’ll roll with that."