Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2996

Tonight's special guest is Lang Martinez from Oxnard, California, a returning NAASCA family member. When the topic of homelessness is brought up in Ventura County, a single name comes quickly to mind: Lang Martinez. Martinez has built a reputation for himself as a the only homeless advocate to have come from the same streets he now walks through with his head held high. His peer-to-peer approach has cemented his name among other professionals in his field. Martinez’s methodology in the field, is shared through his writings in Citizens Journal, VC Star, Fillmore Gazette, La Crescenta Valley Weekly and other media publications. He is an ambassador advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, the 12 Step program, and recently celebrated his 4 year celebration of living drug and alcohol free. He continues to be a persistent advocate for those experiencing chronic homelessness and believes that if he can recover, others can too. It hasn't been easy. Though his entire adult life has been marred with risky behavior, drug addiction, imprisonment, and homelessness, he has managed to legitimatize himself with a career, family, and an unwavering passion to help others. Today, Lang shares his story of what it takes to recover from a serious methamphetamine addiction that left him homeless and dead on the streets of Oxnard. Lang Martinez is fighting for his life. He's fighting to stay sober. He's fighting to stay out of prison. He's fighting sudden blindness, and a civil court case against the man who raped him as a child. On the flip side he has surrounded himself with surrogate professionals who believe Lang can survive. But he lives like a candle blowing in the night searching for a destiny that is elusive, yet it  lives deeply inside the salvation that will allow him to finally live in peace.