Keith states, “The one good thing I did have was my mother. She didn’t use or drink. She was a Christian woman, and many of the good morals I have to this day are because of her. Her values influenced me to come into this program. I’m grateful for that.”

Otherwise, Keith’s childhood was chaotic. “I grew up in a dysfunctional family. My mom divorced my dad when I was one year old. So I never really knew what it was like to be with my dad, because he was always away. He passed away from alcoholism when I was ten. Five years later, I lost my brother to an overdose. He was my father figure. Coming from that kind of childhood, where everyone I loved was getting ripped out of my life,
I was ready to give up. I said, “I don’t want to be here,” so I started with drugs and began medicating my pain. Pretty soon I was putting needles in my arm and was overdosing at age 17”, Keith said.

He continues, “In 2012, I was discharged from parole. I graduated from another program, became a manager of that program, and started going to college. I was getting a 4.0 average. I was being a father to my kids. I was doing really well. But I got everything too fast and I eventually slipped up and went back to using. I ‘barbecued’ my life for another two years. The reality of everything I lost and losing my kids woke me up. I don’t want my kids to go through what I’ve gone through. I’m still alive and I have a responsibility to my kids. When I was a kid, my dad was dead, but I still have a chance to be there in some way.

“During this chaos called my life, I was blessed with an amazing mother who tried her best to teach me about God and raised me with godly principles. I honestly believe her love and prayers alone are the main reason God has never given up on me. Seeing her stay faithful to God through all the pain she went through showed me that God was real.”

Following the example and influence of his mother, Keith hopes to graduate from the Life Recovery Program, be an intern, stay involved with his 6 and 12-year-old daughters, as well as finish his associate’s degree. Keith states, “To those needing help, we are our own worst enemy. Trust God and get to know Him. What do you have to lose? Look what you keep getting. When we do what we want, we end up hurting ourselves and our loved ones. Give the mission a chance. Don’t just try, but give it your best. Thank you to the donors. I’m blessed to come to a place like this. There are some who don’t make it, but there are many who do, and you make it possible.”

Thanks for giving to the mission. Thanks for allowing a mother’s example to yield positive results!