Ron’s is committed to strengthening his relationship with God.

6 months into program, he feels like a changed man

A lot of Ron’s early memories of drinking were centered around family trips, where his parents and his four siblings would pack up and go camping. “I started drinking at an early age— about 6 or 7,” Ron said.

“On the weekends, we went camping a lot, and my parents would drink the whole time. I was kind of like their bartender and would take drinks of their drinks.”

Ron’s mom left when Ron was 11. “My dad raised five children on his own, but he was an alcoholic,” Ron said. “I guess you could say he passed that on to me.”

Ron kept his drinking to the weekends when he was young, but things progressed as he got older. “I did fair in school, but I was (expelled) my senior year because I got caught with marijuana. My dad said I had to get a job or move out, so I went to work for the LA Times delivering newspapers.”

Recently Ron was living with his mom and the man she left her husband for when Ron was a child—the couple have now been married 40 years. “I had been drinking, and he (Ron’s stepfather) said, ‘No more. Get out.’

“I was homeless and checked myself into a hospital at one point because I was drinking way too much. The hospital gave me a sheet of paper with different places on it to get help. I saw the Mission and called.”

At 57, Ron was finally ready to ask for help. “I was scared,” he said. “Everything was new and different, but within a few days, it was good. Everybody was so nice and helpful.

“I’ve been drinking off and on my whole life until now,” he added, as he approaches six months in the program. “I’m saved by the Lord, Jesus Christ. I’m in a good place, have a good pastor, and with all of his teachings, I’ve been given the strength to accept my fears.”

Another key part of Ron’s recovery and positive experience at the Mission has been the camaraderie and love he’s felt from the other residents in the program. “There are eight of us here in the house, and I feel like they’re my brothers. They are closer to me than my actual family.”

Ron also points to the volunteerism component of the Life Recovery Program as immensely beneficial. He appreciates and looks forward to the outreach the group does three times a week where they distribute food to the unhoused community. “I love helping,” he said. “It’s a big change from my past. Everything has changed.”

As far as the future goes, Ron is relying on direction from God. “It’s in the Lord’s hands,” he said. “I’m praying on it, and I’m excited to find out. Right now, I’m feeling great, and I’m not struggling anymore.

“Every day, my mind is getting clearer. I’ve been in a fog for so long. I love the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’m learning to love him more every day.”