Doug arrived at Helping Up Mission for our 12-month residential Spiritual Recovery Program at age 49, without much hope.
Growing up without a mother or father, he wound up living on his own by age 16. He’d started drugs and alcohol at 14 and was expelled from school in the 9th grade.
He made a lady friend that he did drugs with and they decided to get married. They bought a house and had three children together.
But the tragic death of their son at 18 months sent Doug into a 25-year downward spiral that he couldn’t stop, nor did he want to. He got incarcerated so many time, he simply can’t remember them all today.
Over the past 2 decades Doug did different jobs in different states – getting incarcerated in almost every one. Bright and having some skills, he did pretty good work when he was clean and sober.
But Doug couldn’t stay clean — and couldn’t come up with a good reason to try…until a couple of years ago.
He found a cause – something outside his own little world – that mattered. It was a non-profit organization helping veterans and Doug went to work for them.
He felt good about making a difference. Now Doug had a reason to stay clean – but he just didn’t know how!
That’s when someone brought him to HUM. He settled in, began to work on his personal issues and continued to care about the needs of others around him.
Doug just graduated from our 12-month. He’s using some of the skills he learned along the way and is now training other guys, as well.
Today Doug is continuing to make a difference and he know how to stay clean, too!
It does works…
One Day at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director