Evaristo entered LifeChange at Union Gospel Mission last fall after spending months without work, living in his car and struggling with a growing drug addiction. He said, “I started to use drugs every month, then every 15 days, then every week. I thought the drugs could help me not feel depression or sadness.”

His drug use hurt his relationship with his family and he lost communication with his kids. “The drugs are a lie, they help you forget about problems for a moment, but when you stop using them all those feelings of sadness and loneliness come back,” Evaristo explains. He realized that he needed to change when he started using drugs every day and was not eating or sleeping and lost hope.

 Since Evaristo grew up in a Christian family, he found a local church to ask for help. Someone there told him about the Mission. Hearing that LifeChange was a Christ-centered program, Evaristo decided to give it a try. He had some fear when he first arrived. He spoke very little English but the staff who speak Spanish were able to support him and the Mission was able to provide all the course material in Spanish. 

Since Evaristo’s arrival two additional residents who speak Spanish have entered the program, and he now has peers to connect with and encourage him in his native language. He also meets once a week with Katy, a local volunteer who serves as an ESL teacher for Evaristo. He says, “Volunteers play a big part in the program, volunteers like Katy. She is helping me.”

Now, Evaristo is doing well in recovery and serves on our Homeless Service team. He provides food, clothing, and hygiene items to those experiencing homelessness in Old Town. He also has the opportunity to help new members of the LifeChange community who also don’t speak much English. “I like to take the initiative to help because many people helped me when I arrived,” Evaristo explains.

Evaristo’s relationship with God continues to grow. He has connected to a local Spanish-speaking church where he recently was baptized. He says, “Staying close to my family in Christ is important to my recovery. I give thanks for the Mission and all the people here.”

If you know of someone battling addiction or homelessness and they are ready for a change, contact our Intake Coordinator.

Intake Coordinator: 503-274-4483 or mensintake@ugmportland.org