Your love helps Robert know he is not alone…
“Now I know that I belong to God’s family.”
Growing up with an absentee alcoholic father was difficult for Robert. “My mom took care of me and my brothers and my dad was never in the picture. With three kids, it was hard for her but she did the best she could.”
To cope with the emptiness of having no father in his life, Robert turned to alcohol and drugs. “It made me feel good for a while. But after that, it just took everything I ever had.”
The turning point for Robert came when he overdosed on the day of a loved one’s funeral. “I had just buried my family member, and I was putting my own life in danger,” he says. “At that point, I knew God had a better plan for me than what my plans were.”
He walked from West Virginia to Winston-Salem, a trip that took 14 days, because the Rescue Mission had availability for him. “Everywhere else I tried was booked.” His determination to get help paid off. When he arrived, he felt welcome and safe and joined our Life Builders 90-day addiction recovery program.
“I just felt the presence of God, saying, ‘This is where I want you.’”
As a graduate of the 1-Year Transformers program, Robert’s faith has been restored, his vision (he received glasses), and his teeth were restored, through a partnering local dentist. After securing employment and housing, he transitioned from the Mission and is now enjoying his new life in recovery.
Thank you for loving neighbors like Robert “as you’ve loved yourself.” Your kindness has reminded him that he is not alone and that a better life is possible! “Now I know that I’m a child of God. At one time, I saw myself as nothing. But now I know that I belong to God’s family.”
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