Allentown Rescue Mission

Easter 2010 - Volume 20, Number 1
(download the Easter 2010 issue)

Filling the Void - Drugs or God?

Thomas learned very early in life how to hold back his feelings. His mom was a single parent trying to raise five kids. There were a lot of men "in and out" of the children's lives, including those who physically abused Thomas' mother. But Thomas didn't tell, not even his grandparents. "I learned early on how to keep secrets," he says. Those included his own secrets: smoking marijuana and drinking.

Time with his dad wasn't much better. "My father lived in another city and we would visit in the summer. He was involved with a lot of stuff that was illegal, but he always had a fancy car and nice clothes. So I learned early on that if I dressed up the outside and was presentable and well-mannered, I could get through life."

Using drugs filled the void for a while, but as he grew older, drug abuse also cost him jobs and relationships.

"Inside I was empty."

Most jobs would only last three or four years... a stint as a corrections officer for the Lehigh County Prison, time as a program counselor at a teen treatment center and a job as group home counselor. "I'd last for a while and then fall back into my addiction."

His marriage had its ups and downs, too. "My relationship with my wife was a struggle. Then I relapsed after 11 months of sobriety – that's what brought me here to the Mission."

Thomas spent his first three weeks at our Gateway Center before he entered our Life Recovery Treatment Program. It was the first program that he'd gone through that had a spiritual foundation and Biblical principles. That made all the difference!

"The program was great! They taught me in a different way to look at my disease – first and foremost not to beat myself up." With the Lord working in his life, Thomas wanted to know what the "possibilities" were. So when he graduated from LRTP, he signed up for our Christian Living and Values Transitional Program.

"The Christian Living Program was 'icing on the cake'!"

"The curriculum there was kind of intense, but as long as you believe in Jesus Christ all things are possible!" Thomas' time at the Mission has not only brought him closer to God, but allowed him to develop a better relationship with his family as well.

Today, Thomas is working hard to accept his responsibilities as a father and a citizen of the community. He's hoping to go back to school and get a certificate in addictions counseling that will allow him to help others. Today, the void that was in his life has been filled with the grace of God.

A Message from Gary - Bad News. Good News. Better Lives.

In a recession, charitable donations go down. And homelessness goes up. Less money. More people in need. Jobs are harder to get, so men stay longer at the Mission. Crime and addiction go up, too. The fallout from those behaviors of desperation and hopelessness translate into more clients for the Mission and more work. The recession brings plenty of bad news.

We respond with the ultimate good news. Jesus Christ has a critical role in how fast and how well our clients turn their lives around. Our Program Director, Brian Phillips, has what he calls "a 100% success formula." If a man has made a sincere Christian commitment, has a home church and is involved with a men's fellowship group, his chances of success are close to 100%.

We innovate. Every homeless man needs a job and an affordable place to live. The Mission has created jobs on its Clean Team to provide work, pay and training to get a better job. In 2009, recession and all, 70% of those who completed about 3 months on the Clean Team found sustainable jobs. Our innovative housing opportunities put program graduates in shared apartments and row houses at very affordable rents. Their take-home pay goes further, their housing is more secure and they are much less likely to be homeless again.

I am sure that the remainder of this long recession will bring its share of bad news. Please keep an eye on us as we transform it into good news, one life at a time. I am optimistic in many ways, and the staff and clients are all lifted up by your confidence and support.

In His Service,