Please join us in celebrating Ryan O'Hara, Program Coordinator. We are so excited to have him on the team!
1. What do you do at The Magdalen House, and what does a “typical” day look like for you?
2. What is your favorite line in the Big Book and why?
"Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us."
3. What's something you've witnessed at The Magdalen House that inspires or moves you?
I am inspired by watching clients come back because they're ready to be of service themselves.
4. How has working at The Magdalen House impacted your life?
5. What are some of your hobbies or things that you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I love fellowship, going out to eat, skateboarding, going to meetings, and watching movies.
6. What is something that we may not know about you?
About Ryan O'Hara
Ryan was born in Big Spring, Texas, a small town near Midland and Odessa, but moved to California at age three. He was raised in San Diego, California, and has a twin brother named Randall; the two are now 40 years old. He also has a younger brother, Joseph, who currently serves in the Army overseas.
Ryan would like to believe he was raised with good moral values — to treat others as he wanted to be treated, and to respect his elders and women. Still, he grew up fast. He attended 11 schools throughout his childhood, as he, his mother, and his two brothers moved frequently, at times living with friends or in homeless shelters.
Ryan started partying at a young age — at first just for fun — but alcoholism and addiction gradually took over. He began losing sight of what truly mattered to him: his kids, family, friends, and loved ones. Alcohol and drugs became more important to him than anything else in his life, and the disease affected him mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Everything began to change in early 2025, when Ryan was introduced to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Today, his life has meaning and purpose. He is present in his two kids' lives, and had the opportunity to make amends with his family, friends, and many others. He maintains conscious contact with God, sponsors others on their own journey in recovery, and carries the message as part of a fellowship he never thought possible. He credits all of it to the grace of God.
