Michael is grateful & blessed this Thanksgiving
because of your support
You’ve given him hope and new life this holiday!
“I was 116 pounds and hallucinating… It was really bad.”
Michael was just 11 years old when his father died, leaving him overwhelmed with grief. But his mother was in prison and there was no one to help him cope with his pain. “I was so sad and I started drinking.”
He went to live with his grandmother, but she didn’t know how to help him, and Michael continued numbing his pain. “I was an alcoholic by the age of 15,” he says.
For the next 20 years, he struggled with an alcohol and drug addiction that destroyed his family and cost him custody of his children. Eventually, he wound up homeless, malnourished, and suffering from substance-induced psychosis. “I was hallucinating that people were chasing me. It was really bad.”
He wanted a different life, but he didn’t know how to find it on his own, so he turned to your Mission for help. Through our Residence Center, Michael found safe shelter, nutritious meals, and access to health care, which have helped him grow physically strong. “I was 116 pounds when I came in and now I’m 156 and feeling healthy.”
Meanwhile, Michael’s case manager has helped him identify and address his biggest obstacles to successful, independent living. Through mental health care, he’s processed his grief and found emotional stability. And our faith-based classes have helped him strengthen his faith and develop healthy coping skills. “I’ve been sober for eight months and I have no desire to use or drink anymore,” he says.
“Now, I feel closer to Jesus and confident in myself.”
He already has a job lined up, and we’re helping him get a driver’s license and find affordable housing. When he’s all settled, he plans to seek custody of his children. For the first time in his life, his future looks bright.
Michael’s heart is overflowing with gratitude this Thanksgiving because YOUR loving support gave him the confidence and support to rebuild his life. “The Mission gave me everything I needed to get back on my feet.”
