“I can sleep now. I can breathe. And I can rest.”
It’s a miracle that Ryan is alive today…
In an act of “tough love,” Ryan’s parents kicked him out of the house when he turned 18. His addiction was growing out of control. Ryan was gripped by so much fear and anger – it seemed like the bottom of the bottle was his only way to cope.
But would he survive the streets?
“There were times I was caught in torrential downpours or even blizzards,” Ryan recalls. “And I just had to cuddle up and hope that I was good.”
It wasn’t until Ryan found himself trying to survive on hot sauce packets and peppermints that he realized he’d had enough.
When Ryan came to Helping Up Mission, he was immediately overwhelmed by the kindness and compassion he experienced…
“I got hot chicken, a warm bed, a hot shower, and clean clothes,” Ryan recalls from his first day at HUM. “I felt reassured that I can sleep now. I can breathe. And I can rest.”
Not only has Ryan earned his high school diploma since coming to HUM, but he was welcomed into our Spiritual Recovery Program with compassion – and without judgment. He felt loved and was immediately struck by the breadth of our services and programs.
“The Spiritual Recovery Program helps to teach you about yourself. Having a new way of life, where you don’t have to live in fear, but that there’s a God who cares, loves, and will provide.”
Today, Ryan continues to work in our Spiritual Recovery Program. He dreams of one day attending college, so he can pursue his passions of writing and photography.
“Coming here gave me a new hope,” Ryan says.
Please help other people like Ryan…
Through our Spiritual Recovery Program, people struggling with homelessness and addiction are being transformed from the inside out and are discovering new lives filled with hope for the future. And it’s all made possible by caring friends like you.