OXNARD, Calif. – Plaza Park in Oxnard has become a haven for some of the city's unwanted. The center of town is a go-to place for drug and alcohol abuse.

For some, it's the place you go when you've lost all hope.

"It's like people just give up. And this is where they end up and this is what they do," said Marcus Comps.

For the last few years, it's where he has spent his days.

"Drinking, lost, just not caring you know what I mean," Comps said.

But in late July, that all changed. 

Tears have been replaced with prayers. Beer has been replaced with the Bible. A few weeks ago, his Sunday mornings were completely different.

"Probably not even going to sleep yet from the night before partying, getting up, doing the same thing over again. So, it's a big change," said Compos.

That feeling of being lost. It's beginning to vanish as well.

"It's a sense of peace in a peace that I can't even explain," said Comps.

After not speaking to his father for five years, he got a call from his uncle saying that his dad was diagnosed with stage four cancer. His father's only wish was that he would get himself cleaned up.

And that's what led him here to the Thrive House, a group rehabilitation home.

Comps recalls what it was like when he first moved in.

"Having love, you know, in the household. Somebody genuinely telling me, 'Are you OK? Do you need anything, are you alright?' And I have that here. And it was weird for me, because I'm not used to that."

Thrive House is a nonprofit ministry ran inside the personal home of pastor Fernie Franco because to this pastor, getting guys like Comps cleaned up and on the right track is personal.

"At the age of 18-years-old, I had three heart attacks on the same night from an overdose of cocaine, which put me in the intensive care unit for a few weeks, and I almost lost my life. And I've just been wanting to help other people that were just like me since then," said Franco

They live as a family, eat as a family, and every Sunday, they serve as a family. Each weekend, they load up the van and head off to the church to help set up. 

This particular Sunday, Comps had an all-too-familiar sign of what his life used to be like, as a man who appeared to be on drugs began shouting across the street

"That's what we don't want to be, that just puts it into perspective that where I'm at, I'm good, you know, I'm good. I can be in the streets, surrounded by people like this, and I'm good where I'm at right now," said Compos.

He's responsible for setting up the chairs for the church congregation. He wonders what his old friends would say if they saw him now.

"What do you man, really?  But yeah, really, this is what I'm doing now. So I mean, you guys can do it too. If you want to, but it's on you, you gotta make that choice. I mean, I made the choice. And maybe I could inspire somebody," Compos said.

At this service, he also got a glimpse of what his future could be. Several of his housemates graduated from the program.

"That can be me, it gives me hope, it inspires me. And it's only the beginning," said Compos. "Graduating the Thrive House just lets me know that after this, God has a plan for me. And after this, I can continue to keep going. It doesn't have to just stop at graduation."

The highlight of his days comes during the group recovery sessions, led by his uncle Sergio Compos, the same uncle who called him about his dad, who 30 years ago, went through a similar program.

"Some people struggle more than others, but I was just tired of the lifestyle or just tired of using I needed a change in my life," said Compos' uncle, Sergio Compos.

Compos does have an uphill battle, but he doesn't have to go it alone.

"Well, I hope the best for him. All I can do is encourage him.  Try to help them with whatever physical things he may need. But it's up to him to get a hold of the Word of God and allow change to take place in this life." said Compos

"One person represents multiple people and so I just feel like somebody has to do it. You know, and I want to be one of those people who can offer some kind of help," said Pastor Franco

Because sometimes having someone believe in you is all it takes. Compos says that's more than enough.

"Every day I wake up like, 'Man, today's gonna be better than it was yesterday.' And I wasn't living like that. I haven't lived like that in years.  My life used to be like, 'how am I going to get out of this situation today?'" said Compos. "I would use or drink or do whatever I was doing. I don't have to live like that anymore. I don't live like that anymore. I don't feel like that anymore. I get up like, 'what what good thing's gonna happen today,' and it feels good."

Oxnard City Council recently passed a new vagrancy ordinance that makes it illegal to sleep in Plaza Park. This comes just a few months after the city allocated over $500K for homeless relief in the park. 

The city also plans to build a 100-bed shelter, but as per its most recent homeless count, Oxnard had nearly 600 homeless in and arond the city.