Giving thanks to YOU!
For much of his life, Christopher believed he could manage on his own. “[I was] thinking that I know it all…doing what I saw fit to please my day or night with no direction or guidance,” he says. Christopher describes growing up with a good childhood and good parents, even attended some college following high school. “I’m not gonna sit here and blame it all,” he clarifies. “I was with the wrong crowd because that’s the crowd I chose.”
Eventually, substance abuse took control. Alcohol started shaping his decisions and distancing him from the people who mattered most. Over time, family relationships faded and he lost his relationship with his son. “I became dependent,” Christopher recalls. “It was controlling my life.” Christopher found himself isolated and living out of his car—eventually losing that too after getting a DUI. “I got comfortable,” he says. “This is just how I’m gonna live just on the street. Homeless. No hope, no future. Very sad.” He reached a point where he realized he could either keep going down the same path or make a different choice.
After months of resisting help, Christopher came to Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and entered the New Life Program. The first weeks were difficult. Detox, lack of sleep, and negative thoughts tested his resolve—but he stayed. “I was raised in the church my whole life, so I knew what I was getting into and I know that’s what I needed was,” he explains. “For God to be in my life first and try to build back a relationship with him to help me stay grounded.” At CVRM, Christopher found structure, accountability, and genuine care. “The mission has helped my future look brighter…it’s priceless.”
Today, Christopher has rebuilt his relationship with God and is learning how to live one day at a time without substances. “The mission has changed the way I see myself…No matter where you come from, what you’ve been through, as bad as you may think it is, you come here and there is hope.”
Christopher knows his journey is still unfolding, but he is filled with gratitude. Without CVRM, his story could have ended very differently. “Like I said, I have some joy in my life.” Because of your support, Christopher has a foundation for healing, hope, and a future worth fighting for.
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