Life Saved by Grace
For most of his adult life, Don lived under the heavy weight of addiction, pain, and self-doubt. At 56 years old, he carries decades of struggle behind him — but today, his life looks very different than it once did.
Don is a father of four and once shared a life with his family through marriage. After his divorce, everything began to unravel. What followed were years marked by instability, broken relationships, and a growing dependence on substances that had started far earlier in his life.
“Addiction has been a struggle for me for over 30 years,” Don shared.
He grew up in an environment where addiction was normalized. Both of his parents struggled with substance abuse, and from a young age, Don learned to cope with pain the only way he knew how — by numbing it. Every hardship, every disappointment, every emotional wound was masked with another substance. For decades, he searched for relief but never found true freedom.
“I’ve learned to let go of the things I can’t handle on my own and let God take over,” he said. “That’s been a relief.”
Before coming to Wheeler Mission, Don describes himself simply: homeless, confused, and without direction.
When his apartment became unsafe and he was evicted, Don began moving from couch to couch, staying wherever he could. Each place, however, kept him surrounded by the same influences that had held him captive for so long. Eventually, he found his way to the shelter at Wheeler Mission in Bloomington.
Those first days were overwhelming. Crowds made him anxious. The uncertainty frightened him. But for the first time in a long time, he had something basic and life-giving: a roof over his head and food to eat.
“I didn’t feel comfortable,” he said. “But I knew I was safe.”
After six months in the shelter, Don made a life-changing decision to enter the Foundations Program.
Learning to Let Go — and Let God
Inside the Foundations Program, Don encountered something that had always felt just out of reach: peace.
For much of his life, Don believed in God intellectually. He grew up attending church, was baptized, and even attended a Christian academy for a time. But God remained distant — someone he knew about, not someone he truly knew.
That changed when Don finally surrendered control.
Today, Don has been sober for over six months — the longest stretch of sobriety he’s ever experienced in his adult life.
“I’m not sober because I’m keeping myself sober,” he shared. “I’m sober because God is keeping me sober.”
Through Scripture, prayer, and daily accountability, Don is learning to rely on God as a friend — someone he can talk to, someone who listens, someone who walks with him through each day.
A New View of Himself
For most of his life, Don struggled deeply with self-worth. He never finished school. He left the military early. His marriage ended. Again and again, he felt like a failure.
“I didn’t like myself,” he admitted. “And I still work through that sometimes.”
But something remarkable has happened during his time at Wheeler Mission. For the first time in decades, Don is beginning to see himself differently. He is learning that his worth is not defined by his past, but by the God who created and redeemed him.
“Before coming to Wheeler Mission, I was a mess,” Don said. “Since coming to Wheeler Mission, I am proud of myself. I really like the person I’ve become.”
Others have noticed the change too. Don smiles more now. He looks healthier. His countenance reflects the inner healing taking place within him.
Serving with Purpose
Despite a recent foot injury, Don serves faithfully in the dorms each day — cleaning, doing laundry, and helping care for the men around him. He no longer lives only for himself. Instead, he looks for ways to be present for others.
One gift he has discovered in himself is the ability to truly listen.
“I never used to be a good listener,” he said. “Now I can sit with someone and really show that I care.”
That simple act — listening — has become a powerful ministry in his life.
A Near-Fatal Wake-Up Call
Just days before entering the program, Don overdosed.
Looking back, he knows without hesitation what his future held without intervention.
“I probably wouldn’t be here,” he said quietly. “Wheeler Mission saved my life.”
Those words are not an exaggeration. They are a confession of grace.
Looking Ahead with Hope
Don’s future is still unfolding. As he continues to address medical needs and grow stronger physically and spiritually, he is prayerfully considering the next step — the Spiritual Leadership Training Program.
He feels a stirring to serve more deeply. To mentor men who arrive broken, lost, and afraid — men who look just like he once did.
“I want to tell them where I started and where I am now,” Don said.
Today, Don is not defined by addiction. He is defined by surrender. He is learning to trust God daily, to see himself as God sees him, and to walk forward with humility and hope.
And because of faithful supporters, Don is alive, sober, growing, and finally free.
Watch Don’s story here: Watch Video
