Fred came home from work and had a few drinks like he’d done every day since he was 19, but the effects of his drinking had been changing since he hit midlife. There was something terribly wrong and he knew it.
“When I was younger, I could get up the next morning without a hangover. I was functioning fine,” he says. “But over time, it got harder and harder. When I woke up, I’d be shaking so badly I’d have to have a pint of vodka. Then I was good until the liquor store opened at 8.”
Fred wound up in and out of court-ordered rehabs and was hospitalized for alcohol-related issues. Finally, the last time he awakened in the hospital, he was at the end of his rope. “I told them I needed help,” he says.
Hospital staff referred Fred to a treatment center where he completed a 14-day detox, but he had nowhere to go when he was finished. It was then members of his church told him about Hope of the Valley and he entered our House of Hope Men’s Recovery Program.
“Bible study is the best therapy I’ve ever had,” Fred says. “I went to Catholic school when I was young, but I’d forgotten so much.”
Fred’s relationship with the Lord has helped him heal emotionally, as well. “I’ve learned to control my temper. I’ve changed,” he says. “I didn’t think that was possible. I know it’s the power of God.”
Fred, who is a mechanic and handyman, plans to graduate from the program and begin work with our maintenance staff. “The Mission saves lives and I want to help them,” he says. “God brought me here for a reason.”
WITH YOUR HELP, Fred and others like him are finding that God’s hope and healing are for everyone, regardless of their past or circumstances. Thank you for your generous support!
To read the rest of the issue of Sharing Hope, click here.