“They opened new doors for me and helped me see there’s more to life.”
Painful loss and unhealthy influences led James into addiction at an early age. After years of substance abuse, prison sentences and broken relationships, he arrived at City Rescue Mission ready to confront the struggles that had kept him trapped for so long.
James remembers happy moments from his childhood. He enjoyed fishing, boating and riding BMX bikes, and he credits his mother and a neighborhood pastor for providing encouragement and stability after his father died when James was young. Even with some positive influences in his life, he was introduced to drugs and alcohol at an early age… which lead to an addiction that followed him into adulthood. Despite building a successful lawn maintenance business, James found himself repeatedly returning to the same unhealthy people and environments that fueled his addiction. He wanted a different life, but each fresh start seemed to end the same way. “I had a business, but the drugs always pulled me back into that same atmosphere of being around people who were just trying to use me.”
His addiction eventually led to multiple prison sentences that created distance between him and the people he loved most. Missing precious years with his children became one of his deepest regrets. “It put a burden on my life with my family and my kids. I couldn’t be there for my son, daughter or mother when I wasn’t there for myself or respecting myself.”
When James failed a drug test, he expected to return to prison. Instead, he was given the opportunity to enter the Crossroads Program at City Rescue Mission. Through the compassion of supporters like you, he found something he had never experienced before: a place where healing could truly begin.
The classes, counseling and daily encouragement helped James understand the roots of his addiction and gave him practical tools to build a different future. “The classes taught me coping skills and how to handle triggers and cravings. I learned to step back and evaluate what’s really going on. They opened new doors for me and helped me see there’s more to life than substances.”
Working through the Mission’s recovery program also strengthened his relationship with God in ways he had not experienced since childhood. “I’m closer to Him now. I feel Him with me now and He’s answering my prayers.” Today, James serves as a coordinator within the Mission’s Crossroads Program, encouraging other men and helping newcomers adjust as they begin their own recovery journeys.
Looking ahead, he is eager to reunite with his family, contin¬ue walking faithfully with the Lord and build a life marked by healthy relationships, strong boundaries and lasting sobriety.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to better myself, to be a better person, a better man, a better father, a better son.”