Meet Mason (mase) McNeely

Ambassador of Strength & Recovery
📍 Ottumwa, Iowa

“If I can do it — you can do it. It’s never too late to change, heal, and build a life you’re proud of.”

Mason’s Story:

I grew up in a small town in Iowa called Ottumwa. It’s not the easiest place to come up in — a lot of drugs, a lot of crime. That was my environment. That’s what I saw every day. I watched addiction and criminal lifestyles up close from a young age.

For a while, I stayed away from trouble. But by the time I was 14, my addictive personality started to take over. It started small — stealing, vandalism, fighting, and using. It wasn’t the hard stuff yet, but the amounts I was using at that age were already changing me. They kept my mind from growing — from becoming who I could’ve been.

I was living with my dad then. He started to notice my attitude changing fast. I wasn’t the same kid. He gave me a choice. And, like many of us do at that age, I chose the wrong one — I left. I was 16, on my own, bouncing between friends’ houses.

Eventually, my mom got out of prison. Let me tell you — my mom was my world. My best friend and my mom rolled into one. I wanted to be just like her. I take full responsibility for the path I chose, but part of me just wanted to feel that connection again.

Not long after, I caught a serious charge — willful injury. I wasn’t in the right mindset, and things spiraled fast. More charges came. Probation after probation. Court dates. Pre-trial releases. Until one day, the judge was done. I was sent to prison. I did 3 years.

Right before I was supposed to get out, I got the call that shattered me — my mom had overdosed. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

When I came home, I was full of anger and resentment. That’s when the hard drugs really took over. I didn’t care if I lived or died. I had no job, no direction, no purpose — just the next high.

But about nine months in, a few people stepped in. People who believed in me when I couldn’t. That’s when recovery began.

💪 Where He’s At Now:

Today, Mason’s clean. He’s working a solid job, surrounded by love and positive people, and walking proof that redemption is real.

“Recovery isn’t easy — but it’s worth every second. Every fight. Every tear. Every step.”

He lives to show others that no matter how far you’ve fallen, you’re never too far gone.

Final Word from Mase:

“If nobody’s told you today — my name is Mason McNeely, and I love y’all unconditionally. Thanks for letting me share.”