From Surviving to Healing
Jeffrey
recovery
Jeffrey’s story begins in Phoenix, Arizona, where his childhood was marked by loss and loneliness. His parents divorced when he was 12, and his mom died when he was 16. At 15, he moved to Tucson to live with his grandparents, but his struggles continued. “I was always in and out of trouble, skipping school, getting high, doing dumb stuff.” He dropped out his junior year, got a job and moved into his own place at 17. But beneath the rebellion were grief, anger and an emptiness he was struggling to fill.
Love, Fatherhood and Losing It All
Becoming a father gave Jeffrey a reason to change. “I pretty much stopped using everything when my girl was pregnant,” he says. He worked hard to get “our own place,” and during those early years, he says, “I wasn’t using.” But when his relationship with his son’s mom ended, Jeffrey found himself alone again. He eventually returned to meth and drinking, and when a friend kicked him out, his life spiraled further. He eventually went to prison for a stolen car and continued battling addiction afterward. Around 2016, homelessness had become part of his reality. He slept in parks, washes and wherever he could, describing himself as “hopping from house to house to house.” He tried to get clean, but the cycle of addiction, homelessness and incarceration continued.
A Place to Begin Again
In April, Jeffrey arrived at Gospel Rescue Mission while on probation, carrying years of pain, addiction and consequences with him. This time, something felt different. The staff and other residents helped him feel like he belonged, and he found something he had been missing: a place that addressed his whole life. “It’s the God aspect, the fact that they bring that into it,” he says. Instead of focusing only on one part of his struggles, the Mission works on “your mental health, your physical health, your spiritual health.” Jeffrey is now beginning to face the trauma beneath his addiction and work toward healing what has been broken.
Changing the Trajectory
Jeffrey knows he cannot change his past, but he is discovering that his past does not have to determine his future. With a renewed walk with God, he is choosing to move forward one day and one decision at a time. “I’m changing the trajectory of my future,” Jeffrey says. “I want a better life.” After years of simply trying to survive, Jeffrey is beginning to believe that healing, rebuilding and a better
