Food for Thought

Jeff Johnson was no stranger to success before coming to Hope Ministries. A graduate of the Culinary School of America in Albany, New York, he had a good career as a chef in some major hotel chains. But when he moved to Des Moines with his girlfriend, the relationship just fell apart. “I had an alcohol problem. Finally, my girlfriend asked me to go to Hope Ministries. I felt hurt, shame and loneliness,” he says.

Once he arrived at Hope Ministries’ Bethel Mission emergency shelter, Jeff was grateful to be welcomed warmly by Chief Development Officer David Burrier. “He took me into the dining hall and we had lunch together,” Jeff recalls. Soon Jeff enrolled in our STEP program—the first step in our Journey of Hope continuum of care!

When Jeff progressed to our Door of Faith facility, he was assigned to the kitchen. When the regular cook was called away, Jeff was left to do the cooking. “They didn’t realize they had someone who knew what he was doing,” Jeff laughs. “But I love cooking for the guys! It’s fun to see the look on someone’s face when you fix something good. It shows them you care.”

Bible classes at Door of Faith gave Jeff some real food for thought and he quickly began to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ. “It took me a while to leave my anger and pride behind and learn to ‘seek first the kingdom of God.’ In fact, I was asked to leave for 30 days, but when the time was up, I reapplied to the program. I knew this was where I needed to be. When your pride is broken, God can lift you up.”

Jeff plans to continue his career as a chef, stay involved with his church and volunteer his time at Door of Faith after he leaves Hope Ministries. “I want to be a testimony to people who’ve been through the same thing I have,” he says.

“I’m very thankful to the people who support Hope Ministries,” Jeff adds. “In a way, we’re just like them. If we care about each other, we should love as Jesus loved. Look what it’s meant to me! There’s no more looking from the outside in. I’m with the in crowd now!”