“I wish I would have done this years ago.”
Serving as helpful grandparents, Randall and his wife moved in with their daughter to care for her children while she worked. Sadly, however, Randall brought with him a destructive addiction that disrupted the household and damaged his relationships. Fearful of the impact it was having on her little ones, his daughter asked him to leave.
Brokenhearted by the pain he’d inflicted on his family, Randall survived on the streets for several weeks before experiencing heat exhaustion. He was hospitalized and, after being released, was directed to the Allentown Rescue Mission.
Grateful for wholesome food, a cleansing shower and a cool place to sleep, Randall planned to stay only until he could find a job and get back on his feet. Then the pandemic hit. “I called my wife who agreed I should use the lockdown to experience all the Mission has to offer,” he says. So he joined our Transformation Program.
“The Mission really opened my eyes to what I’ve gone through in the past and how I was going about life not really caring.”
With faith-based guidance and one-on-one counseling, Randall discovered his addiction stemmed from a deep-rooted sorrow, and he was healed through God’s Word and His love.
“Now I read the Bible, I pray all the time, and I talk to God constantly through the day,” he says. “I’m more focused. I have goals. And the only thing I can attribute that to is my growth in the Lord.”
After graduation he joined our Clean Team Workforce, where he’s learning life skills and workplace values that will prepare him for employment and independent living. Most encouraging of all for Randall, his wife and daughter are thrilled with his progress, and he’s looking forward to reuniting with his loved ones.
As Randall celebrates this Thanksgiving, he feels incredibly thankful for your compassion and support – and how it’s given him a fresh start. “Today I’m strong, walking in the Light with purpose. I’m 62 years old and I have a new direction.”
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