Meet Ryan Kirby

What Are They Up To Now? Former Resident Spotlight
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Former resident, Ryan Kirby

In 2002, Ryan Kirby sustained near fatal injuries in a car accident that left him with a significant addiction to prescription painkillers and eventually led him to crime as a way to support his $600 per day habit. He was incarcerated in 2004, served 8 years, and then enrolled in Gemeinschaft Home’s program upon his release in 2012.

Over the last four years, Kirby has taken his life in an entirely new direction. Originally from Northern Virginia, Kirby decided to settle in the Shenandoah Valley, finding steady work for a local manufacturer, buying a house, and recently graduating with a degree from Blue Ridge Community College.

While at first reluctant to come to Harrisonburg, Kirby acknowledges that his experience at Gemeinschaft Home marked a significant turning point, one that gave him tools to grow and to move his life in a positive direction. He is now an advocate for programs like Gemeinschaft Home and dreams of one day becoming a counselor for released prisoners and individuals with drug addictions.

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