Dude, Where’s My Car!?

Recovery has given me many blessings and allowed me to do numerous things that I would not have been capable of doing in my addiction. Similarly, working at Hope is Alive has given me the privilege of seeing men in our program experience the blessings they are bound to encounter along their journey of recovery. These men are doing BIG THINGS!

Things like:

• Going back to school
• Mending relationships with family
• Becoming financially independent

On a daily basis all of us at HIA are given unique opportunities to hear stories of dramatic, positive life change from our residents. One such story comes from one of our house managers; Connor. Earlier this month, Connor completed one of his quarterly goals; buying his first car!

Connor is a young man who came into our program with an unwavering attitude of willingness. He is a shining example of the progress that is possible when one actively pursues their recovery and jumps into our program with both feet. He has worked very hard in all aspects of his life. Buying a car is the latest achievement in his sobriety. I’ll let Connor tell you about what it was like to buy his first car and how he did it:

“Buying a new car is something I’ve always dreamed about.  After selling my 1999 Four-runner, which I had been driving since high school, and saving some money up; the search for the car of my dreams began. Finding the color that I wanted and finding the car with all of the specs and perks I desired is a process that takes time. I put in about two weeks of searching for vehicles to go look at and test drive before I found the one with everything I desired in a vehicle. It was such a proud moment in adulthood for me; I was taking on a car payment I knew I could fulfill each month. Driving away in my new car, with the sunroof open, I was so proud of myself for the things I’d done so far in my sobriety. I was thinking to myself just how blessed I am to have these opportunities arise and how fortunate I am to be clean and sober during this experience. A year ago I couldn’t hold down a job, let alone save a nickel. Thanks to Hope is Alive Ministries for teaching me how to live a normal life without drugs and alcohol and teaching me how to set goals and take action on accomplishing them. It’s just the beginning for me, and life is so much better today. And for that I give all the glory to God!!”

Isn’t that amazing?! Our residents are undergoing drastic life change and always pointing it back to Jesus. Buying a car is a tangible achievement that shows the exceptional progress that Connor has undergone since joining our program. It is truly a beautiful thing to see. We are super proud of you Con and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!

It’s because of the support from people like YOU, that stories like THIS are possible. For all of you who faithfully give to Hope is Alive, THANK YOU for helping change lives!

Much love,

Zach Schemmer, HIA Men’s Program Manager

 

PS> If you’d like to actively engage in supporting the LIFE CHANGING work of HIA, click here to get started!