“It’s all come together, and the biggest takeaway is that faith
has been imparted in me.”
Not all stories of homelessness are spurred by a toxic upbringing or a single tragic event. Sometimes the homeless experience creeps up on someone, like a thief in the night, when they least expect it. In Rick’s case, it was brought on by something that is, sadly, very common in America… loneliness.
Before coming to the Mission, Rick led a very normal life. He had a happy childhood, achieved a college degree, got married and started a family and lived in a nice home. Rick is a great father – his three children are his whole world. When they were young, he worked from home so he could be available for them. He took them to school, coached their sports teams and attended every school play.
As Rick’s kids grew up, he and his wife grew apart. They eventually divorced and he soon found himself engulfed in the guilt and shame of a failed marriage.
“I felt like I let my kids down.”
At that point in life, he didn’t have the strong faith or community ties to give him hope and offer support. Instead, he turned to alcohol to numb his pain and despair.
Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the pandemic hit and he was laid off from his job, robbing him of the only thing meaningful left in his life. His alcohol consumption spiraled out of control, eroding his physical health, and he was hospitalized. When released – out of money and essentially homeless – he called the only person he thought might help him: his estranged brother.
“I’d cut off contact with him and my kids because I was just too embarrassed to talk to anybody. It was just so isolating.”
By God’s grace, Rick’s brother took him in while he attempted several treatment programs. When he achieved no lasting results, his brother had another idea. His church had volunteered at the Mission, so he was familiar with our LifeBuilders Program and convinced Rick to check it out.
Rick was skeptical at first. But when he met one of our faith-based counselors, he felt God’s love emanating from the man’s heart… and knew he’d come to the right place.
“He had a presence about him that I can’t define.”
Although Rick attended a faithbased school as a child, he had never built a relationship with God. During his experience in our LifeBuilders Program, he learned this spirit-guided connection is what was missing in his life – and at the center of his loneliness.
“The instructors really hit home with the things they were saying and the lessons they were teaching.”
In addition to Rick’s spiritual healing, our holistic, grace-oriented program addressed his long-term emotional, medical, social, educational and economic needs, too, as we do with all students in our care.
Today, Rick is employed at the Mission as a truck driver. He enjoys volunteering and continues to attend our Bible studies. Like a ripple effect, he’s sharing what he’s learning about God with his now adult children, who have welcomed him back into their lives. And he’s grown closer to his brother through their mutual love of the Gospel.
As he continues to build his independence, he plans to grow in his faith, and maintain the positive connections he has made here. He is grateful to the Mission for helping him build a new foundation that is stronger than ever.
“They saved me from a terrible potential life… but more importantly, I was able to get my family back, and that’s the most important thing.”
