Paul R. grew up as the youngest of seven children. He was a “lone wolf” and “always got into trouble.” As a child, he recalled feeling entitled. He believed that everything should be given to him and when it wasn’t, he rebelled. Then, Paul hit a particularly low point in his life. He struggled with substance abuse and confessed, “I was lost, real desperate, and I had given up.” Luckily, he found his way to a rehab facility and then to the Allentown Rescue Mission.
Paul entered the Transformation Program at the Mission and found that his story wasn’t that different from other guests’ stories, which made him feel more at home. While in the program, he felt called by God to “embrace change.” Paul has been concentrating on the classes offered in the program and has committed to changing his life. With a better understanding of God, he believes things are going to get better. He said, “I can do this…I will do this.”
Today, Paul works for the Clean Team Workforce. However, he has a strong desire to help others and is considering becoming a Certified Recovery Specialist. Paul said sadly, “There’s a lot of people that are lost.”
