In honor and celebration of the 44 men and women who graduated from The City Mission's residency programs this past Saturday I am posting this story about a previous graduate (with his permission) who is now on staff with the Mission. To officially graduate, individuals must achieve stability in several key life areas (such as employment/education, housing, relationships and church involvement) for at least six months. I wrote this story for a newsletter I'm preparing to send to foundations and other major donors.
At this year's graduation we recorded testimonies of several graduates which we will be posting on our web site after they are edited to a reasonable length. Once they become available I will post a link on this blog.
Free at Last
Dale Matthias felt trapped in a vicious cycle of shame, hopelessness and excessive drinking. Suicide seemed like the only way out of his misery.
Dale had lost his job, home, marriage and family to alcohol. By December 2000 he was sleeping under a tarp behind a business, clutching a bottle of vodka.
At The City Mission Dale’s life was transformed to one of joy and hope. After completing the resident program, Dale worked in maintenance for a private school until it closed. He came back to the Mission as an employee in the facilities department and now serves as a case manager for the Crossroads Program.
Dale says the key to his transformed life is in seeking God and surrendering to Him. It’s a key that unlocks the tight hold of despair and addictions, and frees men and women to live with purpose and hope.
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1 comment:
WOW ! That's great ! Would love to hear more. Did you take pix ?
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