Charlie’s journey from brokenness to hope began at the Mission 13 years ago. Because of you, he and his wife are now living a life of faith, sobriety and stability.
At his lowest moment, Charlie walked into the Mission’s Lawrence Street Shelter as a final beacon of hope, not knowing that the answer was glowing right in front of him: “Jesus Saves.”
“[The chaplain] brought me in and asked me why I wanted to be there. I told him I just lost the ability to control my life,” Charlie recalled. Shortly after, he was given a Bible of his own and wrote in it:
“July 18, 2012 – Today saved my life.”
For five months prior, Charlie was living on the streets, but for most of his life he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.
His everyday habit bled over into his ability to hold a job and maintain healthy relationships. “I was just broken, couldn’t find a way out,” he said.
Charlie has known his wife, Maryann, since he was a teenager, and their on-and-off relationship led them to each experience bouts of homelessness both together and separately.
“I get the best version of Charlie because I knew him before when we were 14,” Maryann shared. “Then we grew up, married other people and he found me again through my sister. So, I’ve seen past versions of him, and wow, I get the best Charlie now.”
Charlie describes his transformation as “going from hopeless to hope.” While he had received meals at the Mission before, the real change in him began when he decided to walk through the front doors and ask for help.
That one choice led him to join the Mission’s New Life Program at The Crossing, from which he graduated two years later.
“I got to know Jesus better there because they had Bible studies, and we had group meetings to talk about our lives and pray,” he said.
“It just brought the whole spirit of God into my life, being there around other people who had the same attitude.”
Charlie also found friends and community with the other men in the program, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. “The camaraderie and going through the phases together of getting your life back to where it needed to be— you could all lean on each other,” he said.
As Charlie looks back on his life—from walking into the Mission with nothing but the clothes on his back, to now being sober 13 years and owning his own home for five—he is beyond grateful.
“This is what God’s grace has done for us,” he said. “You have the security of being home—this is my home.”
“We’re so grateful to the Lord, and we thank Him every single day,” Maryann added. “We now read the Bible and pray with each other. We have friends, and they came through a church, and we prayed for that church too. It’s just grown both of our walks with the Lord.”
Charlie still drives the car he received through the Mission’s vehicle donation program when he graduated from the New Life Program. And he is still working the same job he had when he was at the Mission, doing interior and exterior boat work.
“I was in the Mission when I got the job but they supported me through it,” he said. “When we bought the home, [my company] even gave me a special bonus so I’d have enough money for a down payment.”
“The plan for the future is to just be and to further in the Lord and get to know Him better.”
Not only that, but Maryann added that, “[one of his coworkers] saw how far Charlie has come and heard his story, and now she gives to Jesus Saves (Denver Rescue Mission) every month out of her personal pocket.”
For once in his life, Charlie is grateful to have stability. After living years of inconsistency, he has enjoyed living a “normal” life and that’s what he continues to look forward to for the rest of his life. “The plan for the future is to just be and to further in the Lord and get to know Him better,” he said.
Now when Charlie comes across anyone who could use the Mission’s help, he tells them, “If you have the will, check it out.
It’ll change your life.”
The Gratitude Tree
While Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are currently thankful for, Charlie’s story is proof that gratitude doesn’t need a season.
Our Gratitude Tree reflects how the support you give year-round creates lasting change!
Help Someone Find Their Forever Home
This Thanksgiving, help people like Charlie find faith, hope and a forever home.
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