FortCollinsRescueMission.org

April 2013

Wort h Sav i n g He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace… 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)

Galen sees his nieces almost every day. His relationship with Celia is better than ever: “She doesn't even realize that she's doing it, but she is holding me accountable. I'm very grateful to her,” he says.

Wort h Sav i n g

There were two defining points in Galen’s life. One almost killed him, and one saved his life.

Though Galen has his own apartment he still visits the Mission to seek guidance from the staff.

At 14, he found out that his father’s death ten years him and convinced Galen to give her his family’s prior was not the accident he believed it was. Galen contact information. A few days later, after plenty overheard his mother saying that his father had of fluids and treatment, his family bought him a committed suicide. All trust bus ticket home to “If God's plan is for me to and respect Galen had for his reach one person—one person Fort Collins. mother instantly vanished. that is out on the streets or He lived with his sister, still using drugs—if I could For the next year, he rebelled. Lara, and got clean. In 2003, bring them to God or help them reconnect with their “My life went upside down at he was there when his niece family, then maybe my life that point,” says Galen. He Celia was born and came was worth it,” says Galen. got kicked out of the house and home from the hospital. lived on the streets. “I had nowhere to go, and She quickly became the most important person in I wasn't connected to anyone, so I connected to his life. His sobriety was more for her than it was other kids who were all partying and doing drugs,” for him. He was off the streets, in his own apartment he admits. and most importantly, he had his family back. This was the beginning of decades of homelessness and addiction for Galen. He contracted Hepatitis B from using an infected needle. As his health declined, his drug use increased. One day, at only 87 pounds, he passed out in front of a hospital. A nurse found

But in 2011 Galen’s health worsened, and he slipped into a depression. He didn’t want to leave his house, not even to see his niece. Hepatitis had zapped him of all energy. It was the perfect storm to drive him continued...

Fr om t he C EO Dear Friends, I have been asked, “How long do you keep trying to help people? If someone keeps coming to Fort Collins Rescue Mission for a meal and a bed, how long do you keep feeding and housing them?” My answer is always, “As long as it takes.” When is a person not worth saving? We’ve had men join our New Life Program at Harvest Farm in Wellington who had been on the street for over eight years! Some of the men we are helping in Denver had been drinking for over 50 years! Year after year they’ve been coming to us for a meal, with our staff and volunteers offering encouraging words for them to take the first step to a changed life, a life of self-sufficiency in Christ through our program.

People matter to us at Fort Collins Rescue Mission, because they matter to God. So, whether someone is 21 or 85, or somewhere in between, we want to help. Thanks for coming alongside of us as we Change Lives in the Name of Christ! God Bless,

Brad Meuli, President/CEO Denver Rescue Mission/Fort Collins Rescue Mission

Worth Saving continued back to drugs. At Christmastime, he broke his seven years of sobriety. “Within a few months, I was a full-blown addict again. I wasn't paying my bills. I managed to keep my apartment for a year, but like everything, I lost that too. I became homeless in December 2012 and it was a real wake-up call,” he recalls. But then came the moment that saved his life. After a couple weeks of living outside, he went to Lara’s house. In his mind, he envisioned a warm welcome with hugs and smiles. “I knocked on the door and felt an uneasiness. I remember Celia was hiding behind Lara. She acted like she didn't even know me. It crushed me,” Galen recalls sadly. Days later, he decided to go to Fort Collins Rescue Mission. Seeing his niece look at him like she would a stranger gave him new resolution. He wanted to do everything he could to be a part of her life again. “I heard about the Steps to Success program and got involved as quickly as possible. I got reconnected

with my church,” says Galen. He loved the program and going to chapel each night before dinner. “I came here quite broken, but within a few weeks Lara said that she could see the old sparkle in my eye,” he says. Galen celebrated 90 days of sobriety on April 1st. He found permanent housing and moved out of the Mission last month after completing three steps of the program. “Chaplain Tom and Jim didn’t just give me a handout, they gave me a hand up. That means all the difference in the world. They looked inside me and saw a person worth saving,” says Galen gratefully. Galen cannot believe he has lived long enough to see his 54th birthday next month. “Through the program, I've reconnected with God, bringing me to a new level of my faith. He has saved me from myself countless times,” says Galen. To post a note of encouragement for Galen on the Mission's Facebook page, visit Facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue.

February

Statistics: How You Help Change Lives Meals Served

Beds

Churches Involved

4,227

2,031

20

Changing Lives is a news publication of Fort Collins Rescue Mission. Director: Jim Carmack Director of Communications: Christine Gallamore Designer: Rachel Vigil Writer: Rachel Greiman | 316 Jefferson Street • Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 • 970.224.4302

facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Fort Collins Rescue Mission 316 Jefferson Street Fort Collins, Colorado 80524

Denver, CO Permit No. 117

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Wort h Sav i ng

FortCollinsRescueMission.org

“From the staff here, I realized there is hope. They look at people that are down and they reach out to them to try to help them want better for themselves,” says Galen.

F in d G a l e n ' s Sto r y In side