José Juan García a.k.a. CheJuan (October 22, 1940 – December 17, 2002) was the founder of the international drug-rehabilitation institution called Hogar CREA.
Early years
García was born in
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
where he was raised by his parents. He had a tough childhood and experienced his first imprisonment when he was 15 years old. At a very young age, he became a drug addict and stole in order to pay for his habit. He went to prison more than once because of his drug problems. However, he was fortunate enough to have met some people who would have a positive influence in his live and change it forever, among them was the educator Ana G. Mendez. He also attributed his acceptance of "
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
" as a reason for his change.
Hogar CREA
In 1968, García founded in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
a drug-rehabilitiation organization named Hogar CREA (plural Hogares CREA). The acronym "CREA" stands for the 're-education of the addict'. Those who enter the program do not have to pay a fee, but must agree to the program's strict rules and engage in community service.
Doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
s, psychologists and others donate their time. Expenses are covered by the volunteer board of each home. Each home has enough beds for 15 people. 28 thousand people have successfully completed the program, out of 51 thousand addicts who have been treated in 36 years. In is estimated that 92% of those who have completed the program started by García, have completely stayed out of drugs.
García's Hogares CREA have over 152 facilities worldwide, including in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
.
Awards and recognitions
Among the awards and recognitions he received are:
* The Citizen of the Year in 1974, granted by the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association
* Citizen of the Year 1976, by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce
* An award from
President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
and others for the exemplary community service offered by Hogar CREA in the United States.
* The
Government of Puerto Rico
The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...
from
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. His son Javier García and his widow Flora Rosario Johnson were involved in a dispute over the control of the organization. The organizations current director is Benjamin Pintor Miranda.Public Law #133