Tony’s childhood days were rough and unstructured. He experimented with drugs and alcohol, trying to fit in with the other kids. Instead, those experiments put him on a long, hard road to addiction and brushes with the law.
“Basically, drugs and alcohol were around all my life. There are pictures of me as a little kid holding a beer. I hid my first pack of cigarettes when I was nine. To me, that was life,” says Tony.
In a moment of clarity that Tony attributes to God, he realized he wanted to break free from the hold drugs had on him. Caring friends told him about LifePath, but he resisted the idea, saying, “It’s a homeless shelter. My first thought about coming here was, ‘I’m hitting rock bottom.’”
Finally able to face the hard truth, Tony realized, “I was lost. I’d lost all hope. But I let go and let God.”
Through tears of gratitude, Tony shares that God led him to LifePath, where he has been given a new beginning in every way. “They’ve been nothing but good to me. I can’t say anything bad about this place,” he says. “Without them, I don’t know where I’d be. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and they welcomed me with open arms.”
The Christ-centered services and programs at LifePath are truly an anchor for Tony’s healing and have given him confidence for the bright future that lies ahead. “My faith is tremendous. God has a plan for me.
“LifePath is awesome—nothing but love. The staff is unbelievable. They really care about your future. The cook is really good, and the food is awesome.”
This Thanksgiving season, Tony is giving thanks for everyone who supports the life-changing mission of LifePath. He says, “I’m grateful. I don’t know what I’d do without LifePath, honestly. I don’t know where I’d be right now. Thank you . . . I’d give every donor a hug if I could.”
Thank you for sharing meals, help, and hope with neighbors in great need this Thanksgiving season! Your help is urgently needed now because more than 32,000 meals will be served to hungry and hurting people, and we can only meet this huge need with help from every caring friend and donor!
