Vince's Journey of Restoration

For most of his adult life, Vince struggled with alcohol and marijuana. “I’ve been an alcoholic and drug addict since I was 17,” he admits. “I’ve had some periods of sobriety, but I always went back.”

He went through a painful divorce, then cared for his children following the death of his ex-wife. But eventually, isolation and addiction pulled him back into his old patterns. “I wore out my welcome with family, the kids moved in with their grandparents and I was living in my car. I was sick, cold and running out of gas to keep warm. I figured something bad was going to happen — I was either going to freeze or drink endlessly.”

One cold November day, sitting in a parking lot, Vince realized he was outside the Hope Gospel Mission Bargain Center. “I asked God, ‘If You help me, I will welcome You into my heart. Help me be clean and sober.’ Then I drove over to Hope Gospel Mission and started the process to get in.” That was the day everything changed.

It wasn’t easy at first. But in time, Vince says, “I asked God to take away my urge to drink and smoke — and He did. I’ve never craved either since. Every day I wake up here, I’m grateful.”

Hope Gospel Mission’s long-term, faith-based program gave Vince structure, community and a renewed relationship with Christ. “Other rehabs were just 21 or 28 days — you detox, but you don’t change your way of thinking,” he explains. “Here, I’m learning life skills and growing in my faith. I look forward to Bible study every day.”

Perhaps most meaningful has been the restoration of his family relationships. “My kids tell me they’re proud of me. That’s a feeling I’ve never had before.”

To the donors who make this possible, Vince says: “From the bottom of my heart — thank you. This place changes lives. If you want to give somewhere and see your gift work, this is it.”

Vince’s journey isn’t over, but now he’s confident in his path forward: “I know where I’m going, what I’m doing and I’m happy,” he says with pride. “Hope Gospel Mission is a life-changing place.