Stories of Hope

By the time Codie was just nine years old, he was already running drugs for his mother’s boyfriend. “I didn’t know what was going on and I’d do it without hesitation, thinking everything was okay,” he says. “Growing up, I thought I lived a pretty normal life, but I soon realized that it was crazy.” When Codie was 12, he started drinking to cope with the chaos in his life and, by the time he was 14, was using hard drugs. It was the beginning of an eight-year struggle with addiction that cost him everything he held dear. “I lost my friends and my family and wound up homeless, roaming the streets.” Codie had tried rehabs in the past and always relapsed, but when he was 22, he decided to give it another try and came to our Addiction Stabilization Center. It was then, during a chapel service at the Mission, that he gave his life to Christ. “An overwhelming joy came over me and I felt like Jesus was actually hugging me. I’d never felt so calm, so at peace with myself,” Codie says.

He then entered our Parker House Aftercare Program, and through counseling, case management, Bible studies and life skills classes, has grown stronger in the Lord and in his sobriety. Codie’s relationships with family and friends have been restored, as well. “Everything has been falling into place. It’s a miracle.” Codie plans to go to college and become a certified substance abuse counselor with hopes of working at the Mission one day. “I’m going to help people just like the Mission helped me,” he says. “They gave me hope.” This Easter, Codie will be celebrating the beautiful new beginning in his life – made possible by your generous support. “Before coming to the Mission, I was a homeless drug addict. I thought that would be my life forever, that I’d never be able to have a normal life. But now I have everything I could ever ask for and more. I see a bright future.” “I thought I’d never have a normal life. Now I have everything I could ask for.”

Robert started drinking with his neighborhood friends when he was 16 – the beginning of a 35- year habit that slowly eroded his self-esteem. “I held a job and paid my bills, but on the weekends I’d overdo it. I felt terrible having to make excuses why I couldn’t go to work the next day,” he says. He was also ashamed of what God must think of his drinking, and over time grew distant from the Lord. “As a kid I used to go to church, but I fell away,” he says.

Then one morning, after a night of drinking, Robert decided he’d had enough. “I found myself curled up on my floor, sick to my stomach, and I came to the realization that it needed to stop,” he says. “I needed to deepen my spirituality and build back my relationship with Christ.” It was then that Robert came to our Parker House Aftercare, and through outpatient treatment, life-skills classes, counseling, Bible studies, and chapel services, found sobriety and restoration of his faith. “After my mind cleared up, I started reading His Word a lot more and recognizing His promises,” he says. It’s been healing for him to discover that, even though he didn’t like himself when he drank, God loved him unconditionally. “I’ve always been under His grace,” he says.

Robert has already landed a new job, and after graduation, plans to move into our Transitional Housing, where he can save money for his own place. “I’m going to get financially stable and be a productive member of society again,” he says. YOU are the reason that men and women like Robert are no longer bound by their challenges – and have become overcomers through God’s love! “The Mission gave me shelter, fed me, and met all my needs. They gave me the time to clear my mind so I could put God first in my life again.”

Anthony stood outside his parents’ front door, hungry and homeless, hoping they’d give him some food even though he’d broken their hearts. “I’d stolen from my family and they had to kick me out,” he says. “And still my mother handed out to me whatever food she had in the refrigerator.” He loved his family, but years earlier, Anthony had rebelled against their way of life. “I’d chosen to run the streets and get high,” he says. “Living that way rewarded me with prison, hospitals and homelessness.” Then, one morning, he awakened in an abandoned building and had a moment of clarity. “I realized if I kept getting high, I was going to die,” he says.

It was then when Anthony came to our Parker House Aftercare Program, where chapels, Bible studies and Christian counseling opened his heart to the Lord. “When I got here, I didn’t know who God was,” he says. “But now I believe in Him and know He loves me.” Anthony’s newfound faith has helped him become the man his parents always knew he could be. “I’m trustworthy now,” he says. “And they love and support me 100 percent.”

After graduating from the program, Anthony plans to minister to others who struggle as he once did. “I used to be blinded by selfishness, but now all I think about is who I’m going to give to and how,” he says. “I know God has plans for me.” “The Mission freely gave me genuine love and it changed my life.”Because of your generosity, Anthony’s heart has been filled with thanksgiving… and God’s love! “People said there was no hope for me; that I’d never get my mind or my life right. But today I’m filled with gratitude, compassion, love, peace, joy, purity and fulfillment. My life is a testimony.”

“I couldn’t do anything without drugs,” says John, the son of a minister. “I lost my family, I was homeless and I’ve been to prison.” Like so many of the men here at the Mission, John had been introduced to drugs as a young man. And for nearly 25 years, the powerful grip of addiction cast a dark cloud over his life. “I came to the Mission because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired,” John says. Our staff and counselors opened their arms to John, without judgment, which is exactly what he needed. He was soon placed in Parker House, our residential discipleship program that offers men a safe environment in which to grow spiritually while healing from addiction and other destructive behaviors. “I always had God in my life,” John says. “I left God. God never left me. But I truly surrendered when I came to Parker House.” When John graduated from the program, he began volunteering at the Mission as a way of giving back.

Before long, he accepted a job with us, working in housekeeping and maintenance. He is happy for the work and loves the opportunity to encourage men entering the program. “I share my story with anybody that wants to hear it,” John says. “If I can do it, they can do it. And if they need to talk, I’m here, because somebody was there for me.” John has now been clean for 4 years and has reconnected with his family. He is deeply grateful for the Mission and for people like you who support it. “There are people out there who need an organization like this to help them get back on their feet,” he says. “A place like the Mission can make people feel good about themselves.”

When Antonio was a little boy, he stayed with his uncle in Puerto Rico every year for vacation, and every year, his uncle sexually abused him. “I was so ashamed. I thought it was my fault so I never told anyone.” When he was 11, Antonio stopped vacationing there, but he kept his traumatic secret. It wasn’t until he was 13 that a doctor discovered the truth during a physical exam and referred him to a psychiatrist. Antonio was prescribed antidepressants, but they made him sluggish, so he stopped taking them and began numbing his pain with alcohol and drugs. “They made me forget.” 

For 20 years, he struggled with his addiction, while serving in the Gulf War with the navy, working construction and raising a family with his fiancée. Finally, he got clean and, for 13 years, maintained his sobriety. “I buried all the pain.” Then he and his fiancée set a wedding date, and when she suggested they honeymoon in Puerto Rico, it opened Antonio’s old wounds. “The pain rose up and I relapsed.” It was then when he came to the Mission for help, graduating from our Addiction Stabilization Center and entering our Parker House Program. Through Bible studies, chapel services and Christian counseling, Antonio has strengthened his faith and begun to heal. 

“Now I’m in an intimate relationship with God, and sharing my pain with others has given me strength and hope,” he says, his eyes filled with tears of gratitude.  “I’m not filled with shame anymore.”  Antonio graduated from the program, has a job and his own place, and plans to become a drug and alcohol counselor so he can help others find the healing he found at the Mission. You may never meet Antonio, but he’s eternally grateful to YOU for your support – today his heart is filled with new hope for the future. “I’ve forgiven my uncle. He no longer owns my soul. God has made me a new creation.”

Demetria sat by her son’s hospital bed, holding his hand, watching him breathe, praying he’d regain consciousness. “He got hit by a car and received a traumatic brain injury,” she says. “He was on life support for five days.” Thankfully, he regained consciousness, but he needed a lot of care to heal from his injury. “I lost him mentally for about a year,” Demetria says. As if that heartbreak weren’t enough, Demetria and her husband struggled to pay his medical bills while providing for their other four children. “We were living on my husband’s police pension and were strained financially beyond belief,” Demetria says. “I started coming to the Mission’s Food Pantry and I was so happy because, when my kids were hungry, I was able to feed them.” 

“The Mission showed us unconditional love.” When she saw the compassion of our Mission staff, Demetria decided to apply here for a position but she wasn’t hired immediately, so she came on as a volunteer. It was then our staff discovered the severity of her family’s need. “They gave us a turkey for Thanksgiving, coats, clothes and toys, and they encouraged and prayed for me,” Demetria says. Her stellar performance as a volunteer made her the obvious choice when a Volunteer Coordinator position opened on our staff. “I love working with people that are going through challenges,” she says. “And now I’m able to buy more groceries, get necessities for my children, and have money left over.” 

Demetria’s son has made a near full recovery from his injuries. “I almost lost him, but his mind is pretty much back,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. “He even came here to volunteer.” Because you gave from your heart to help Demetria and her family, their lives have been changed by your goodness and God’s love forever! “God blessed us through the Rescue Mission. I’m very thankful and now all I want to do is give back.”

Kevin’s father was an addict and a drug dealer and his mother lived in fear that Kevin would choose the same path. “She loved my father to death, but she didn’t want me to be like him, so she was really hard on me. It bordered on abuse,” Kevin says. “I felt rejected and became introverted because I thought there was something wrong with me.” When Kevin was in junior high, he ran away from home in search of acceptance. “I found what I was looking for in the streets,” he says. “I started doing drugs and alcohol and I felt normal. I wasn’t shy anymore.” For nearly 30 years, he struggled with addiction – costing him jobs, damaging his relationships and leaving him homeless. “I lost everything,” he says. “All I had was pain, loneliness and shame.” It was then Kevin came to our Addiction Stabilization Center, where he found safe shelter, food and the opportunity to detox in a medically-monitored setting. With his physical needs met, he was able to focus on his spiritual healing, attending chapel services and Christian counseling that opened his heart to the Lord.

“When I walked in here, I was spiritually bankrupt and hopeless, but now I’m a believer.” Kevin completed his ASC treatment and moved into transitional housing. He plans to become a Peer Engagement Specialist here at the Mission, encouraging and guiding others who are struggling with addiction. “I thought the life I’d lived had been for nothing, but I’ll be able to use my experience to help people,” he says, smiling. This Thanksgiving season – and all through the year – your kind generosity fills hearts with hope and gratitude… and transforms lives like Kevin’s. “The Mission received me with open arms, pointed me in the right direction and gave me the tools to become independent. I’m leaving with goals and hope.”

Josh was a shy, self-conscious young man who longed to fit in. “I had social anxiety. But when I had a couple drinks, I felt like everybody liked me more,” he says. “I started drinking as a social outlet at 18, but it snowballed.” For nearly 20 years, he was a functioning addict, working and paying his bills. But, eventually, his drinking spiraled out of control. Then, one day, he had a dramatic wake-up call. “I had to have a drink before work to stop the shakes. I’d never done that before,” he says. “It was a big red flag that I was at a point of no return.”  

Josh called his boss and told her he needed help. Upon her recommendation, he came to our Addiction Stabilization Center and detoxed under the supervision of a physician.   When he was physically ready, he entered our Parker House Aftercare Program, where Bible studies, chapel services and Christian counseling strengthened his faith and helped him process his pain. “I reconnected with God and Jesus and got back into reading my Bible daily. I grew a lot spiritually,” he says. “And no matter what I was going through, I could talk to the staff. They’re such compassionate people and have been very instrumental in my healing.”  

“The Mission has been a lifeline for me.”   Josh graduated from the program, has his own place and is training to be a Peer Advocate. He plans to spend his days ministering to those who struggle with addiction as he once did. “Now I see myself as a person of value who has something to contribute to the community,” he says.   As Josh celebrates this Thanksgiving, he feels incredibly thankful for your compassion and support – and how it’s given him a fresh start in life. “I was on the road to self-destruction. But the Mission provided a safe, stable environment and helped get me back on the right path. Now, I’m filled with hope.”

Earl grew up longing to fit it, but it wasn’t to be. “I had ADHD and social anxiety. I didn’t feel accepted by the world. I felt like an outcast.” When he was 9 years old, his father remarried, and Earl’s sense of rejection grew. “My dad only saw me two weekends a month. In my eyes, that meant I wasn’t important.” Earl began numbing his pain with drugs and, by the time he was 16, he was using every day. For more than 15 years, he struggled with addiction, unable to hold down jobs and, eventually, finding himself homeless. With each day on the streets, his depression grew and, finally, he tried to take his own life. But God had other plans. Earl survived and, after completing rehab, came to our Parker House Aftercare Program. Through chapel services, devotions and Bible studies, Earl surrendered his life to the Lord. “I feel God’s presence and I’m allowing Him to work within me,” he says. “I’m learning more about Him every day and I know that, even if no one in the world accepts me, He does.” “Now I know God doesn’t see me as an outcast.” 

After coming to the Mission, Earl was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and placed on medication. He’s also been processing his emotional pain during regular visits with a therapist. “I’m healing and learning how to control my emotions.” He plans to complete the program and study to become a drug and alcohol counselor so he can help others who struggle as he once did. “God is good and I want people to know He will help make them better,” he says. It’s going to be a Christmas filled with joy for Earl – and he is so grateful to you for this wonderful gift of a new life. “Everything about my life is better. I’m growing mentally and spiritually and I know that God accepts me. He’ll never leave me.”

Christopher was raised by parents who were addicts, so it seemed normal to him. “I just assumed other parents were like mine. They were in and out of abusive relationships and I saw a lot of drama growing up… it was definitely painful.” But then, at age 19, Christopher became completely overwhelmed and turned to drugs to numb the pain he couldn’t escape. “I used drugs because I didn’t want to feel much of anything. My life was so chaotic.” For 8 years, Christopher fell even deeper into the nightmare of addiction. The turning point finally came when Christopher could no longer keep a job and became homeless. “I got so depressed and down and out… I felt like a loser. I wanted more for myself.”

That’s when Christopher went to rehab to get clean and then spent time at a halfway house. But he wasn’t ready to live on his own and still felt like something was missing… “I’ve definitely grown, and a lot of the wounds have begun to heal. They’re bringing me closer to God.” Christopher called Pastor Dave and was welcomed into our Parker House Aftercare Program, where his new life truly began. “I wanted to study the Bible and get clarity. I’ve come to know God personally and I’ve accepted His grace… I feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”

Daily devotions are helping Christopher dig deeper into the Word and giving him guidance to rebuild his life. He feels the Lord leading him to go back to school and get his counseling certification so he can help others overcome similar situations. “I want to help people not only come out of their addiction, but bring them to Jesus. Save their life and their soul at the same time.” Your generous support has filled Christopher’s life with love, encouragement and, most of all, hope this Easter season. “Before I came to the Mission, I would look in the mirror and see a broken soul. Now I can be proud of where I came from and who I’ve become.”

Daniel has worked in the restaurant industry his whole life. The tough environment led to frequent drinks to relax with coworkers – but Daniel soon felt overwhelmed. He says, “Things got stressful. I took on too much responsibility and started drinking more heavily.” He had been living with family and friends, but they told him to move out because they could no longer watch him kill himself. He ended up homeless on the streets – alone and bitter. Then, one day, God used a chance encounter to soften Daniel’s heart. When he stumbled into a day center, a nurse on duty asked, “‘Can I pray for you?’ I said, ‘Yeah, go ahead. Anything will help at this point.’ And she held my hand and I felt hope for the first time in years,” he says. Daniel remembered visiting the Utica Mission with his youth group years before. His hope led him to the Mission, but he was still unconvinced God could really change him. So he gave God an ultimatum – 90 days to fix his life.

Daniel came to Parker House, our long-term discipleship program that gives men a safe place to heal from addiction and other destructive behaviors. Within that 90-day period, he was surprised to see how “God gave me little blessings, little gifts to keep me going, saying, ‘Look, it’s not that bad. I’m with you, OK?’” as his life transformed rapidly. Today, he is sober, working part-time at the Mission, completing his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, buying a house and engaged to be married – dreams he never thought he would accomplish before coming to the Mission. “Now I know how to fail – how to live beyond what’s right there. This is all from the grace of God, and it didn’t happen overnight. God will give you what you need just a little bit at a time. He reveals it slowly to you.” Daniel has a heart for serving others and is so full of gratitude for friends like you who showed him that change was possible. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Daniel didn’t see the harm in drinking. After all, his parents were alcoholics and they were able to hold down jobs and provide for the family. It never occurred to him that God had much more for his parents than the lives they were living. So he began drinking in his teens and things went downhill fast. “I was incarcerated from 17 to 20 as a direct result of alcohol addiction,” he says. “As I got older, my addiction became more and more of a problem.” Eventually, Daniel wound up homeless and came to believe that he didn’t deserve anything good in life. When he wound up back in jail, it was just par for the course. He never guessed that God would use it for good. But there, in his cell, he found a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, things could be different, that maybe God had more for him than the life he’d been living. When he was released, Daniel entered our Parker House Aftercare Program, carrying that hope in his heart. Through Bible studies, daily devotions and faith-based counseling, his faith has grown strong and he’s addressed the root causes of his addiction.

Now, he sees himself and his life in a new way. “I’ve learned that I have worth. I do deserve good things, and if I just put my faith in the Lord, they’ll come to me.” After Daniel completes the program, he hopes to join our staff so he can help others find new life in Christ. “If I can bring hope to just one other person, it will be more than I could ever have asked for.” “Now I know God has a purpose for me.” Daniel is excited to celebrate the restored hope he has been given this Christmas – and wants YOU to know just how grateful he is. “I was lost, but now I know God loves me, and I have faith and hope for the future.”