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Jerald’s life has been made NEW this Easter!

“I feel great. I’m blessed beyond measure.” 

As a child, Jerald’s friends often asked him, “Where’s your dad?” Not wanting to admit the truth, he masked the pain of what was missing. From the outside he seemed fine, but the absence of his father was a void that eventually led him to substance abuse.

By the time Jerald was married with a home of his own, addiction was interfering with his life. “I was buying drugs instead of paying rent. My wife could see something was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was. It caused a lot of friction.”

Jerald came to Rockford Rescue Mission to get his life back on track, but shortly after returning home, he went back to his old lifestyle. Only after losing several people close to him did he recognize how much he needed help. And he knew where to find it.

“I felt so much shame about coming back to the Mission,” he says. But he was welcomed with open arms.

“I was totally broken and spiritually bankrupt, but God is good.”

In our Life Recovery Program, Jerald found healing in Scripture, community and honest self-reflection. He rekindled his relationship with God and began serving others with joy by washing dishes, vacuuming hallways and stepping into ministry with a new passion.

In hindsight, Jerald realizes the adolescence he lost to substance abuse. But he’s determined to live the years he has left with purpose, “to be the best man, the best dad and the best grandad I can be.”

This Easter, Jerald has a new direction for his life. Thank you for lighting the path forward for him to experience a future of hope and peace! “I feel great. I’m blessed beyond measure,” he says.

This story is featured in the current issue of The Rescuer.