David never was a drinker. In fact, for most of his life, he had a great job, a family, and a stable
home life. He was working in a local rural school district, close to retirement, and even had 5
wonderful granddaughters when his world began to unravel. David experienced several deaths
of family members and close friends, and while he had never been a big drinker in the past, he
began to turn to alcohol to cope with these losses. “Alcohol just becomes more and more
consuming,” says David, “until it’s all you care about.” Alcohol eventually led David to lose his
job and his home.
David had hit rock-bottom in May of 2024 when his son and daughter told him that he needed to make a change. “I asked God at that point to either take my life or let me find help to get out of my addiction,” says David, “and He brought me to New Visions.” David says he is grateful for
low-barrier shelters like New Visions, where he could come and stay even though he was still
not sober. “I wasn’t going to get better on my own,” he says. David needed to be in a place
where his basic needs of housing, food, and clothing could be met while he worked on his
sobriety.
Immediately after arriving at New Visions, David began to help out around the campus. “It’s just
the way I am,” he says, “I was cleaning up after myself and others, and the Kitchen Staff saw
that in me and asked if I wanted a job.” David began by doing dishes in the kitchen while he
continued to better himself and work with our caseworkers on securing housing. In November of 2024, 6 months after arriving at New Visions, David achieved housing and is now living in his
own apartment. He continues his work at New Visions, now working full-time doing laundry for
the shelter. “This is my domain,” he says, “I enjoy giving back through my job because New
Visions did so much for me.” We’re privileged to walk alongside men like David as they work to
get their lives back, and we’re honored to be a part of David’s journey.