San Antonio Salvation Army’s rehabilitation program helps man overcome his addiction, become a store manager

National Salvation Army Week runs May 10-14

SAN ANTONIO – National Salvation Army Week runs May 10-14 and to celebrate the occasion, we’re sharing the story of a man who went through the Salvation Army’s adult rehabilitation program.

Eric Teel was addicted to methamphetamine and alcohol less than five years ago. But now, not only is Eric completely clean, he’s the manager of one of the Salvation Army’s family stores and is admired by staff.

SA Salvation Army hopes to raise $250k during National Salvation Army Week

Eric said his road to recovery was rough at first.

“It was a battle every day, just trying to stay clean and sober,” Teel said. But he added that he has the Salvation Army to thank for turning him to God, which ultimately helped him overcome his addiction.

“About four months into it, something happened. I had a spiritual awakening. Everything got easier and the cravings disappeared. God helped me get rid of all those cravings and problems I was having,” Teel said.

After completing the group’s rehabilitation program, Eric was offered the role of family store manager. He currently runs the Highway 281 North and Encio Rio location.

If you or someone you know is battling addiction, you can contact the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in San Antonio. The number is 210-223-6877. The center is located just south of downtown at 1324 S Flores St.

On Thursday, May 13, the San Antonio Salvation Army will be holding a phone bank from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Each donation helps ensure the nonprofit can continue on its mission to serve the community. If you would like to make a donation during the phone bank, call 210-598-7921.


About the Author:

Carlo Jagge is a news producer at KSAT. He began his career in television at KSAT in fall 2017 as a Big Game Coverage producer, helping cover high school football games across South Texas for KSAT. Carlo earned a bachelor's degree in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin. He's also produced for KRIS in Corpus Christi.