Brad grew up in a home filled with conflict. Abuse and instability left him without the tools to cope. “I wanted to feel safe and get away from the chaos,” he recalls. “But there was no escape.” To numb his emotional pain, he turned to alcohol and by his mid-teens he was drinking every day.
As Brad matured, he continued to struggle – with life and with addiction. He spent several years without stable housing, including time on the streets. At his lowest moment, he even considered ending it all. “I was tired of being hurt.”
Thankfully, a family member offered encouraging words, just in time. “I sensed God’s peace,” Brad recalls. “I asked God, ‘Please show me a place where I can grow and heal!’” His prayers were answered when soon after he discovered the Rescue Mission.
“I came in broken, but I’ll leave healed and ready to be a helper.”
Stepping through our doors, Brad was greeted with warmth and compassion. “I had no bag, no change of clothes… not even a toothbrush!” he says. “The Rescue Mission gave me what I needed, including my first shower in a long time. The small things made a huge difference!”
Right away, Brad began to enjoy meaningful connections with staff and other guests in the program. “I instantly fell in love with these people,” he shares.
Through Bible study and faith-based classes and counseling, Brad began to transform his life as he gained new coping skills to support his sobriety. “This became a place to slow down and learn what it means to be in community… and I now have ten times more joy!”
Today, Brad gives back by working in our administrative office, where he has gained practical work experience while sharing his faith with others. He hopes to one day join a youth ministry where he can inspire young people who are dealing with challenges like he once did.
This Easter, Brad has a new direction for his life. Thank you for lighting the path forward for him to experience a future of hope and peace! “I’ve received love without limits… and now I have a heart for God.”
To read this issue of Bay Area Hope, click here.
Help other people like Brad…
Brad’s story of hope and healing is inspiring. Our long-term recovery programs exist to help other men and women find healing. Will you help provide this help to others?