David knew something had to change. Unable to cope with past emotional trauma, he struggled for years with a devastating addiction to meth.

Six years ago, at the age of 49, he turned to God to help him.

“I went to a Christian ministry to help me stop drinking and drugging,” David says. “But after I quit, my best friend died. That was really hard on me, and I started drinking again.”

In 2022, David knew he needed more than sobriety. He needed a new life. 

BECAUSE YOU CARE, THIS EASTER IS SPECIAL FOR DAVID

David faced many challenges in his life. He was the victim of a serious truck accident, leaving him with severe and long-lasting injuries. Because his injuries left him unable to work, he lost his job. Around that time, his wife of 14 years left him.

“I lost everything, including my condo and my truck,” David recalls. “I had to move back in with my parents, and I was devastated. A friend turned me onto meth and it took all the pain away.”

After another failed marriage and the death of his father, David’s life spiraled out of control. “I felt worthless,” he says. “I couldn’t do anything. It seemed like the trauma was non-stop. It was horrible.”

David finally got sober in 2017, but after his best friend died and two friends betrayed him, David found himself homeless. He turned to Union Rescue Mission and joined the Gateway program, which not only provided him shelter and meals, but also gave him the chance to devote himself to God again.

“If I was going to rebuild my life, I knew I had to get into the Word again and get closer to God,” he says.

David started learning more about what Jesus had done for him… that when Jesus died on the cross, David died on that cross, too. All his past, all his trauma, all his failures—everything he had ever done—was crucified, dead, and gone.

“Three days later, when Jesus walked out of the tomb that first Easter, He carried me on His back,” David explains. “He guaranteed me the chance to live a whole new life, to grow into the man God created me to be.”

Today, David continues to live at Union Rescue Mission and is employed in URM’s maintenance department. More importantly, he continues to grow into his new life.