In most towns, if you were to turn a fine old house in a good neighborhood into a refuge for up to 18 alcoholics and drug addicts at a time, you'd hear screams of outrage from your neighbors. But, Kevin McCall has done just that in Benicia, California, and the entire town, from the next door neighbors right up to the mayor can't pour enough praise on him and his "guests" at the home he calls Adobe. In fact, when state agencies tried to close Adobe down because the home was unlicensed and McCall untrained, state legislators and judges rushed to his defense.

Because of McCall's penchant for picking up strays off the highway, Benicia refers to him as "Saint Kevin of the Freeway." McCall doesn't look like a saintly person, and he certainly doesn't sound like one. He speaks the colorful language of his own time on the road as an abused runaway and of his years in the military.

Despite illness and personal tragedy, the man just won't quit. This attitude is what passes on to his rotating band of "DDT's"—his "dogs, derelicts and tramps."

McCall and his wife always had a few vagabonds staying with them, getting their feet back on the ground. After her death, McCall opened the whole house to any DDT's willing to work hard. A former alcoholic himself, McCall says, "I don't dare go out there and have that one drink I really want to have 'cause I've got to look these guys in the eye when I get home."

Life at Adobe is part boot camp and part inspiration. The house is drug and alcohol-free, and there are rules for appearance and behavior. Residents work so hard, says McCall, that they don't have time to think about drugs and alcohol. Since Adobe is completely self-supporting, residents' earnings go into a kitty to pay the house bills and into personal savings accounts that residents take with them when they "graduate."

Everyone at Adobe works not only for pay, but also for free. McCall sponsors a Little League team, offers a college scholarship program, and runs a holiday Meals on Wheels. Any community group in Benicia in need of volunteers has only to call Adobe. McCall wants his men to see that kindness pays off, because he knows that a guy helping others is going to start to like himself.

Each graduate of Adobe leaves with a savings account, a vehicle, a job and a "McCall-ized" attitude. Over 7,000 people have passed through Adobe since 1973. Their letters are testimonials to the vision and kindness of Kevin McCall. One graduate writes, "Working and living with 15 — 20 screw-ups can be very trying, but he still hangs in there. You couldn't really give as much as Kevin without surrendering your own person life, belongings and home, and giving your all to others. Kevin is helping us all to achieve one of the greatest gifts of your life: a second chance."

UPDATE: Kevin McCall died in 1989, after decades of running his program. Adobe House continued and the town of Benicia celebrated "Kevin's Day" annually. The recession of 2008 hit the operation hard, causing its shift from a residency program to assisting men in recovery in other ways.