From community meals in the Mission dining hall to restored families reuniting at the Changed Life Recovery Program graduations, the Mission is at the center of meaningful connections for families and our community. Those who struggle with addiction often will inflict the greatest pain on those who love them most. Hope stifled, promises broken, and dreams stolen.
For many of our Changed Life Recovery Program (CLRP) residents, when they first enter the program, heartache and shame from broken relationships sticks with them. The Mission has intentionally created a program with eight goals including reconciliation with family if possible. When Jeremy Campbell came to the Mission in October of 2014, he was still grappling with a past defined by drugs and alcohol. Things went from bad to worse when his wife filed a restraining order against him and his two kids were taken away from him.
“I had the gift of desperation when I first came to the Mission,” he said. “I was literally homeless. I was either going to go there and succeed, or die.”
As time progressed, Jeremy learned what it meant to be a father and husband through the Men’s Fraternity program. Although his wife filed for divorce, he was encouraged by other residents and their past experiences. Jeremy remained hopeful and at the third and final divorce hearing, his wife miraculously had a change of heart.
“She saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself yet,” Jeremy said.
Following their reconciliation, Jeremy and his wife embarked on a new chapter for their 20-year relationship. This time, supported by their local church, small group community, and counselors. After three years of living apart, the whole family will finally be reunited under one roof this month.
“The Mission was the jumping point,” he said. “It helped me get a foundation in my heart. All of this wouldn’t be possible without it.”
