I was changing, and it was for the worst ...

Dear Friends,

“I was changing, and it was for the worst,” says Danny, recalling the painful day his life hit rock bottom.  After years of struggling with alcoholism, Danny was ready to change.  He knew if he came to Hope Ministries, he would be taking the first step toward a brand-new life.  And he was right.

Thanks to the financial support and prayers of good friends like you who care deeply about the homeless and hurting in our community, Danny is sober, learning how to walk with God and reconnecting with his loved ones.  You wouldn’t believe he is the same man who walked through our doors just a few months ago …

Danny started out life with a special challenge: a disabled hand.  But despite his birth defect, he worked very hard during his 60 years of life, never asking for a hand out or expecting pity or special consideration. 

But as he began to age, Danny’s hand became more and more of a problem.  “I was getting to the place where it was becoming harder and harder to function with my hands,” he explains.  To make matters worse, he was starting to feel the aches and pains of old age.  “With 60, you get maladies you get with age.”

As Danny grew depressed about his decreased physical abilities, he made the tragic decision to self-medicate, turning to alcohol to lessen his pain and brighten his mood.  Not surprisingly, the alcohol made his physical and mental health even worse.

“I’d quit working, and my finances quickly dwindled to nothing,” he recalls.  “I lost my house in the process.  I just would not quit drinking.”

Living as an alcoholic in abject poverty was bad enough.  But what tore Danny’s heart apart was the rift that began to develop between him and those he loved.  “Losing the home and cars and clothing – they can be replaced.  But I was losing the trust of my friends and family,” he shares.  “My mother and sister, they were telling me, ‘We want the old Danny back.’  I was walking away from life.”

Thankfully, Danny decided to get help before it was too late.  A friend recommended Hope Ministries’ Journey of Hope recovery program for men, and in June, he came here to check the program out.  He was drawn to our unique Christian-based program and eager to get his relationship with Christ back on track as he overcame his addiction to alcohol.

“As life throws you a curve, you can’t handle it yourself.   You need to know there is a God who can help,” Danny explains. 

Today Danny is clean and sober and growing in his faith.  At Hope Ministries, he’s found an extended family that provides him with the encouragement and help he needs to meet his goal of sobriety.  “I have hope now!” he beams. 

Danny is just one of hundreds we help throughout central Iowa every year thanks to your consistent giving.