Tony
For his whole life, Tory was haunted by the scourge of addiction. “I knew my parents were using drugs,” he remembers, “they would go out and party every weekend, even when I was very young.”
Alcohol and drugs wreaked havoc on his life in increasingly painful ways. “It was challenging; I saw my mom get beat up multiple times, and I started drinking at just 9 years old.”
This trauma left deep emotional wounds that affected how he approached relationships in his adult life. “I’m too good at covering up my feelings, and it takes me a while to really be able to love someone or express myself.”
When the pandemic forced everyone into lockdown, Tory’s mental health suffered a great deal. He turned to substances, desperate to fend off the pain and isolation that he’d wrestled with since childhood. “I have an addictive mentality, and it cost me everything, it eventually left me homeless.”
“The biggest challenge I faced in coming to the Mission was myself.”
Tory was at war within himself, needing help but too scared to open up about how lost he was. “I needed to get a foundation under me, to clear my head.” At rock bottom, he found the courage to take the step through the Mission doors. “I was finally ready for a change.”
In our LifeChange Recovery Program, Tory began to experience the healing love of God. “I know that if it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t be here.” The community work and fellowship at the Mission let Tory give back while he built a new life foundation. “I’ve made so many meaningful relationships… more than I can count.”
Looking to his future, Tory knows that he is on a healthier path, and healing from his old wounds. “I wasn’t firm in my faith and in myself when I came here, but now I am more stable. I’m stronger in the Holy Spirit. I’m planning to get a job and start putting away money in savings.”
Your gifts are bearing fruit in the lives of people like Tory. Now, his heart is full of hope this fall... thanks to your kindness! “I’m thankful for the Mission being faith-focused and helping me build that strong foundation I had hoped and prayed for. I’ve been given a second chance and the opportunity to have a better life.”