“I learned to believe in myself.”
Donald’s childhood memories are filled with snapshots of happy times, like weekends at the lake with family. “It was the best of the best,” he shares with a smile. His grandfather was a huge part of his life – teaching him to golf, mow a lawn and how to be a man of character.
Sadly, those good years didn’t last. Unable to work after some health challenges, Donald’s father turned to alcohol for escape. “Abuse came along with that,” Donald recalls.
The resulting emotional wounds followed Donald into adulthood. A devastating divorce pushed him to numb his own feelings with alcohol. Then, the death of his father compounded his grief. For years, alcohol remained his greatest battle. “I was terribly lonely, and that can destroy a person.”
During one of his lowest points, Donald experienced a moment of clarity. “I knew what I needed to do to get help, and I understood it would a lifelong journey.” He made the decision to come to Rockford Rescue Mission, and everything began to change.
“The Mission helped me find a new meaning for my life.”
Donald committed to our Men’s Life Recovery Program, where Christ-centered classes helped him work through old behaviors and shame. A renewed faith gave him a foundation he hadn’t had in years. “I came here as an alcoholic – that’s what I was. By the grace of God, I found out who I really am.”
While at the Mission, Donald enjoyed giving back by volunteering at the Mission’s Thrift Store, assisting with donation pick ups and restoring picnic tables for the Men’s Crisis Center. He also discovered something unexpected: he’s an artist! He has since filled sketchbooks and built an intricate Popsicle-stick replica of the Mission itself.
Because of you, Donald is experiencing Thanksgiving in a whole new way this year… with a fresh perspective on life and a heart of gratitude. “Thanks to the Mission, I learned I can do anything, accomplish anything, achieve anything… if I just believe.”