Not so long ago, Eric was living the kind of life he’d always wanted to. He had a good job and a stable place to live. He’d embraced sobriety and was happy in his relationships.
But then a relapse changed everything. And suddenly, he was right back in the same spot he’d found himself multiple times in the past . . . homeless, jobless, incarcerated and once again ensnared by addiction.
Eric’s struggle with drugs and alcohol began when he was a teenager. But after his most recent relapse, he knew he had to break the cycle. And this time, it wasn’t just his own life at stake. His daughter, Acelyn, was born in November 2024, and Eric became more determined than ever before to change.
“I was ready to go the right direction,” he remembers. “Holding my daughter, feeding her, filled me with a new purpose.”
Today, Eric has been in Hope Ministries’ life recovery program for about nine months. “Before, I was only concerned with survival—food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene,” he says. “But with this program, all those things are provided. I don’t have to worry about surviving. I can focus on changing.”
“Before I came to Hope Ministries, I was just so lost. I feel like I’ve found my place in life. I want to have an impact on other people.”
Eric
One of the areas in which Eric has changed most is his faith. “I used to have no concept of what Jesus did for us. Now I’ve learned that God has a plan. I’m learning to ask God for what I need,” he says. “Sobriety doesn’t just get handed to you. You have to work for it. This will be a lifelong process, but now I have my faith to help me.”
Eric is grateful for “the brotherhood” he says surrounds him at Hope Ministries. When Acelyn was in the hospital last winter, it was his fellow life recovery residents who prayed with and supported him.
As Eric looks to the future, he says he’s focused on three things: His faith. His recovery. And his daughter. He now has a full-time job and is active in his church.
And he has a steadfast hope that life is only going to keep getting better. “The peace of mind I have today is indescribable. I know that as long as I stay in God’s hands, I’m in good hands!”
