Dave’s Story: I didn’t feel worthy

 Dave is only a few months away from graduating Union Gospel Mission’s LifeChange recovery program. “Without the donors and volunteers, I wouldn’t be here,” exclaims Dave, “without them I wouldn’t have survived, I owe them my life!”

Dave, a Navy veteran, suffered from alcoholism and severe depression that caused him to be homeless for over 10 years. Holidays were especially hard, “Being homeless you miss out on connection, people ignore you,” says Dave. “Sometimes I would stand out on the freeway onramp holding a sign, not for the money, but to have that connection with people.”

When UGM’s Search + Rescue first met Dave, he was living in a tent in the sloughs by Delta park, aka Tweaker Island.

Search + Rescue continued to meet with Dave and others in their camp every Thursday night for over a year. That winter was especially cold. With over a foot of snow on the ground Dave thought that Search + Rescue wouldn’t be coming out that Thursday. Fortunately for Dave, the Search + Rescue “Love Van” did show up that night. Dave was on the verge of hypothermia. “All I wanted to do was to go lay down and go to sleep.” But the Search + Rescue volunteers insisted that they take him to a warming shelter. “I guess they saved my life that night,” says Dave, “I owe them my life.” From there Dave decided he needed a change, he started asking about getting into Union Gospel Mission’s LifeChange program.

“I’m here in the mission, warm and dry with my belly full, and my heart hurts for the people still out in the cold, I didn’t feel worthy,” says Dave. For almost a year now Dave has now been serving on the Search + Rescue van two nights a week. He’s even been able to serve and testify to the people he camped with in Delta park. “I now get a real satisfaction from helping others, I want to continue helping others for as long as I can. It’s a real blessing to me.”

UGM serves over 250,000 meals a year, the people that help serve those meals are the people that come off the streets and into LifeChange. “Its work therapy where residents get to be productive and help other people in need. It’s one of the best win-wins that I’ve ever encountered,” says Bill Russell, Union Gospel Mission, Executive Director.

UGM’s LifeChange is a Christ-centered recovery program where residents live and work in a community of people committed to transforming their lives and breaking the grip of addiction. LifeChange consists of counseling, work therapy, discipleship and transitional after care, at no cost to the resident.

If you know of someone battling addiction or homelessness and they have had enough and are interested in a LifeChange, then contact our Intake Coordinator at mensintake@ugmportland.org or 503-274-4483.