Radical Issue 3

Nonprofit lunches are known for fancy food and fundraising, but events put on by Hope is Alive offer more. This take on the Inspiring Lunch will leave a good taste in your mouth.

Everyone needs a break sometimes, but that holds especially true for those who are suffering. Finding Hope retreats are designed for loved ones of addicts to disconnect and experience healing. Hope is Alive is celebrating 10 years of radical life change! Check out our origin story and the way God has blessed our work over the past decade.

Contributors

Anna Dellinger

Robert Holsonbake

Chris Vasquez

Sean Fitzpatrick

Sheryl Hash

Carla Hinton

Lance and Ally Lang

Website: www.hopeisalive.net

Facebook: /hopeisaliveok

Instagram: @hope_is_alive

Letter From Our Founders

It was the first time I’d been clean in probably 10 years, and I knew nothing about recovery. I knew nothing about AA, sobriety, anything. It was so foreign.

I didn’t even really understand I was addicted.

I spent the first few days just getting immersed, smoking cigarettes, sitting there with the other guys, feeling so much like an alien.

I thought I was the only one.

About 30 days later, I began to experience an overwhelming feeling of hope. An unbelievable feeling that things could really be different in my life. And I realized pretty clearly just how addicted I really was. So one night during the summer of 2011, I went into my room, got on my knees, and began to pray.

And I heard God speak.

I’m not saying it was audible, but it was very clear. God said, “I’ve called you to make an impact.” It was overwhelming.

Hope is Alive wouldn’t officially begin for another couple of years, but it was born in that moment. I had never even heard the words “sober living house.” I didn’t know about recovery or programs or building community or running anything.

I just knew I had a calling.

Since then — with the help of my co-founder, partner, best friend and wife, Allyson, who has been along for this ride every step of the way — Hope is Alive has opened 25 houses in six states and helped almost 1,900 residents find lasting sobriety. We’ve welcomed dozens of staff members along the way and seen God do amazing things in the lives of family members of addicts through our Finding Hope Support Groups.

Hope is Alive may have started with Ally and me, but it is not about us.

It’s about our dedicated residents, volunteers, staff members, donors and every person who mentions us in their prayers or taps that little heart on one of our social media posts. We wouldn’t exist without this universe of support.

Thank you for making 10 years of Radical Life Change possible.

Lance & Allyson Lang CEO / Founder COO / Co-Founder

14400 Bogert Pkwy, Oklahoma City, OK 73134

Meal More than a

BY ANNA DELLINGER

Iknow most people find fundraising events boring, but as a self-proclaimed nerd and foodie, I usually enjoy them.

They all follow a similar format. Name tags are distributed, fancy place settings with too many utensils await guests at their tables, and everyone sits awkwardly longing for the program to begin. Keynote speakers share about their mission, tug at heartstrings and ask for money. The invitees stuff checks into giving envelopes (or they don’t); then everyone moves on with their lives. Even though I like these events, they are typically forgettable.

But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Hope is Alive’s Inspiring Lunch I attended in May.

Intentionality touched every part of the occasion. From the walkway into the building to the table centerpieces, everything whispered or shouted of radical life change and transformation. After seven other similar events held across the country, the Hope is Alive (HIA) staff and residents had every right to feel exhausted and less than excited about another lunch. Instead, they brought their A game.

Smiles, hugs, and worship music filled the room as more than 300 attendees found their seats in the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. An HIA resident also joined the guests at each table.

Before the first speaker stepped up to the mic, I encountered Steve and Lisa Hopkins, who came because someone they loved invited them. Ann Sandager, a former HIA resident, currently serves as the HIA Grant Coordinator; but the Hopkins knew her when she was trapped in addiction.

“We’ve seen the results of the Hope is Alive program and we know that it works,” Steve said with tears in his eyes. “With Ann’s life and all that happened to her, we don’t need more proof than that to see that God works in this place. He’s doing amazing things in her life and the life of this ministry.”

Perhaps the most impactful part of the program was when HIA residents shared their stories with their dining companions, testifying to what God has done in their lives through this mentoring program. My tablemates included some of my favorite people from my church and an HIA resident named Cole with an incredible tale of transformation: a former Irish mobster turned follower of Christ.

No story was the same, but many shared common themes of failed sobriety

SOBRIETY SNAPSHOT — The walkway into the Inspiring Lunch featured before and after pictures of residents that are almost unbelievable.

attempts, homelessness, crime, confusion, brokenness, and despair. However, every single story embraced the beginning of a new, sober life through Hope is Alive.

Several HIA leaders shared from the stage, including directors, program managers and founders Lance and Ally Lang. I sat with rapt attention, fully absorbed in every story they told. While the gravity and destruction of addiction were never dismissed, the atmosphere was one of celebration and new life. One HIA resident even performed a gripping song for us as we viewed video clips of families reunited in sobriety.

The culmination of the event came when Lance shared ministry results. During the 10 years since Hope is Alive was birthed,172 graduates have taken their lives back from addiction, 227 residents have made a declaration of faith through baptism, 700 children have been reunited with their parents — and residents have maintained a combined 2,891 years of continuous sobriety.

“Behind every stat is a story. Behind every story is a soul,” Lance told the audience. “We’re trying to do something different, because what we’ve been doing isn’t working. We’re doing something radical.”

And HIA’s approach to fundraising is a little radical, too. No one likes asking for a handout. However, the ask at the conclusion of the luncheon was more of a challenge than a request. Hope is Alive isn’t looking for pity money. They are seeking an investment from people who care … from people who know what it is to be heartbroken by addiction … and from people who have seen or experienced true restoration.

For me, the event instilled an even greater desire to give generously. And it reminded me of why I’m so grateful I get to tell the stories of the lives God is rebuilding through this incredible organization.

“We’re trying to do something different, because what we’ve been doing isn’t working. We’re doing something radical.”

A PERSONAL TOUCH — HIA residents at each table shared their stories of life transformation.

PACKED HOUSE — More than 300 guests attended the Inspiring Lunch, filling up the event space at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.

A Welcome Time Retreat of

BY CARLA HINTON

Kelly Holly felt torn.

As she walked alongside her husband in his battle with alcohol addiction, she didn’t want to leave him — not even for a moment. Just as he was entering his 18th month of sobriety, Kelly considered attending the Hope is Alive (HIA) Finding

Hope Retreat, but at that time her son was struggling with active addiction and recovering from surgery.

She felt selfish for even thinking about going to the 2022 retreat. Self-care just didn’t seem realistic at that point.

“Rest is a foreign concept for someone who’s been caretaking someone in addiction, because you’re always worried about that person and what they’re going to do,” Kelly said. “I feel like I’m always on the defense. To be able to go to the retreat and take a breath meant everything.”

Somehow, Kelly’s husband persuaded her to go to the event and put herself first for a much-needed respite. She didn’t know what to expect at her first retreat, but it didn’t take long to realize that she was in the right place with the right group. She felt at home throughout the weekend designed for individuals whose loved ones have been challenged by addiction.

“Immediately, I felt welcome. I didn’t

feel judged. I knew that these were my people,” Kelly said.

Amy LaRue, HIA’s Finding Hope Coordinator, said Kelly’s reaction to the break-out sessions, guest speakers and small groups is at the heart of what the Finding Hope Retreats are all about.

“We need these weekends to grow, to unplug, to laugh, to cry,” she said.

From the beginning, Amy has envisioned the retreats as an extension of the Finding Hope support groups — an intentional, relaxing time away from everyday life for spouses, parents, grandparents, and children of individuals whose journeys have included addiction and recovery.

Amy knew firsthand what such a time of renewal and fellowship would mean to participants. Her husband, who abused substances, is currently in recovery. A weekend of worship and connecting with others who understand the journey — in a safe environment — can be invaluable.

KINDRED SPIRITS — More than 40 men and women attended the Finding Hope Retreat in April 2023.

DOWN THE DAYS — Kelly Holly is so excited about the Finding Hope Retreats that next year’s event is already on her calendar: March 22-24, 2024.

“Some of our loved ones are in recovery, and some of them are not, so we get people from all walks of life,” Amy said.

Eighty-five people from 10 states attended the recent retreat, which was held March 31-April 2 at the POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some of them were already Finding Hope members, but others learned about Finding Hope and the retreats through Amy’s two Bible studies featured on the YouVersion Bible app.

Guest speakers at the retreat included Ally Lang, HIA Chief Operations Officer, and Karen Jensen Salisbury, Christian author and speaker.

One of the most important aspects of the retreat is the opportunity for participants to engage in self-care. Some attendees played golf together, while others painted, walked along the center’s trails, or simply took a much-needed nap.

“We can find healing no matter what our loved one is or isn’t doing,” Amy said. “My ultimate goal is that attendees are able to go back to reality with hope. The motto is ‘You are not alone. It’s not your fault and there is hope.’”

As she was searching for Scripture-based Bible studies for someone whose family members were experiencing addiction, Kelly stumbled upon Amy’s Finding Hope studies in YouVersion. Kelly had attended a secular small group program for people

whose loved ones experienced addiction, but she couldn’t connect to the people there. When she joined the Finding Hope support group — even her first meeting held via Zoom — it was vastly different.

“They completely understood, and I didn’t have to pretend with these people,” Kelly said.

After attending the 2022 Finding Hope Retreat, Kelly eventually started a Finding Hope support group in her hometown of Midland, Texas. This year, she took several

of the Midland group’s members with her to the 2023 retreat in Tulsa and it didn’t disappoint. It’s not uncommon for retreat participants to worry about a loved one while they’re gone, but Kelly has learned that it’s worth going anyway.

“You have to be able to release that control and go to the retreat, enjoy yourself and do a little bit of self-care,” she said. “I already have next year’s retreat marked on my calendar — I won’t miss it.”

“Rest is a foreign concept for someone who’s been caretaking someone in addiction, because you’re always worried about that person and what they’re going to do.”

EMBRACING RECOVERY — Cindy Rush (center) is grateful for the sober life her daughter lives today, but she still finds encouragement in attending Finding Hope events like the retreat.

TRUTH TALK — Amy LaRue, Finding Hope Coordinator, reminds loved ones of addicts that it’s not their fault and there is hope.

HIA has core values that define our culture and guide our actions. One of these values is “We Trust our Leaders.” Trusting our leaders is important because it builds a strong and unified team, fosters a positive and healthy environment, and enables us to overcome challenges and achieve success.

We show trust in our leaders by listening to them attentively and actively, asking them questions and seeking their advice, and giving them constructive and respectful feedback.

Our leaders include the founders of HIA, Lance and Ally Lang; the staff and Program Managers, who provide guidance, support and accountability to the residents; and the graduates and alumni of HIA, who share their stories and testimonies of recovery.

We trust our leaders because they have proven themselves to be trustworthy, competent, compassionate, and inspiring. They have dedicated their lives to helping others find freedom from addiction. They have shown us the way to live a life of hope, faith, and purpose.

CULTURE CODE:WE TRUST

OUR LEADERS

BY ANNA DELLINGER

THE PAST

How are we going to explain to L.A. someday that his daddy is a drug addict, and he works with a bunch of drug addicts?”

Ally Lang doesn’t ask that question out of fear or judgment or shame — but out of a desire to teach her 1-year-old son the truth about how God can change lives in radical ways. Her husband, Lance, isn’t trapped in addiction anymore, but his past is a burden their family will always bear.

Instead of burying his history, though, Lance uses it as a platform to impact thousands of people across the country affected by addiction. He hasn’t always been a nationwide speaker, an author and

one of the leading voices in sober living. He had to start somewhere, and it wasn’t a pretty beginning.

Lance had wallowed in the dirt and sewage, with the worst of humanity, at his lowest point. He was a thief, a liar, a bad friend. He was divorced, lost custody of his kids and was living alone in an empty house. And yet, he couldn’t stop looking for the next high.

“I had been running all over the state chasing my next fix and leaving a tornado of destruction and heartbreak along the way,” Lance said. “I’d built the walls around me so tall most people had quit trying to climb over them to help me. With each passing day, those walls got taller and taller and taller, leaving me in a destitute and isolated place.”

FULFILLING THE CALL — Lance has spoken to thousands of people at hundreds of events across the country since beginning to share his sobriety story in 2011.

“

But God got hold of him and changed everything.

THE CALLING

After 11 years of mind-altering substances ravaging Lance and hurting those he loved, his uncle finally broke through. Lance had been confronted in the past, but this time was different. Instead of defending himself or making excuses, that day in April 2011, he chose to surrender to divine intervention.

“I was finally done fighting,” Lance recalled.

He began his sobriety journey with a stay at Rob’s Ranch, a 90-day rehab facility in Purcell, Oklahoma. About a month into his new life, Lance experienced hope like he’d never felt before, accompanied by an unmistakable challenge from the Lord.

“God said, ‘I’ve called you to make an impact.’ It was clear and overwhelming,” Lance remembered.

He didn’t get his old life back. Instead, starting with yeses — big and small — step by step, he built a new one.

“The enemy tried to dash my dream and get me to doubt my purpose, but God used that to build a new dream, a new purpose, and a better life,” Lance said.

SOMETHING NEW

After his first taste of a sober-living community at Rob’s Ranch, Lance was hungry for more. He knew he couldn’t return to his former environment, with his old triggers and opportunities for relapse. The idea of a sober-living home began to form, but it seemed impossible that anyone would want to work with someone who was unemployed, in debt, and recovering from a long history of drug abuse. Lance made a phone call to inquire about a house, expecting to be shut down, but instead God provided

the perfect home to become Hope HQ (headquarters).

The people are what make a house a home, and Lance knew just whom to invite: other men recovering from substance abuse who wanted to radically change their lives. Ninety days wasn’t going to be long enough. Instead, these men would live together for over two years, committing to sobriety, finding jobs, climbing out of debt, and clinging to Jesus. And, just like that, Hope is Alive was born.

MOVING DAY — The first five residents of Hope is Alive moved into Hope HQ (pictured) within the first two months of opening.

HAPPY TO BE HERE — Lance and the first five residents of Hope is Alive attended the first ever Night of Hope event in 2014.

THE PRESENT

Over the next decade, Lance’s life — on behalf of Hope is Alive (HIA) — became a whirlwind of writing books, opening sober-living homes across the country, tallying years of sobriety, hosting events, meeting donors, partnering with churches, baptizing new believers, and reuniting families.

The one-of-a-kind program has shifted and taken shape over the past 10 years. From one home in Oklahoma City to today’s 25 homes in 12 cities, HIA is reaching more men and women than ever before.

EVERYDAY TRENCHES

Any HIA resident or staff member will tell you: This is not easy work. But it is good work. Radical life change doesn’t happen automatically. It takes hard work, commitment, and community.

Residents must fulfill the rigorous program

requirements before graduating, typically in a 12-to-18-month time frame. The program is designed to rewire individuals and help them discover whom God made them to be. Identity is extremely important, and Lance keeps an ever-present reminder in front of everyone at HIA: “Once an addict, always an addict.”

“This is a statement of action, an underlying realization that if we don’t take the appropriate actions we need to live a life of recovery, those tendencies, wounds, and habits can seep back into our lives,” Lance explained.

Each resident must complete a structured curriculum including a 12-step program, maintain a full-time job or attend school, participate in weekly in-house meetings, attend church regularly and meet monthly with a mentor. HIA residents take pride in their beautiful homes, paying rent every month, cleaning and maintaining the space for themselves and future residents.

“We’re only a few choices away from where we were,” Lance said. “It keeps us grateful and grounded. We only live this life based on the choices we make today.”

One aspect that makes this sober-living program different is its holistic approach — it doesn’t just treat the symptoms of addiction, it treats the entire person. HIA leadership uses their most powerful tools to teach residents how to work through process addictions — things like shopping, gambling, pornography and eating disorders — while introducing them to Jesus.

“We can’t just keep them in sober living for three years and let them leave and relapse,” Ally said. “We teach them whom God innately created them to be. That’s where we find the healing! We work through ‘Steps to Freedom,’ which allows residents to connect to our unconditional, generous, peace-filled God. Many addicts

BETTER TOGETHER — Lance and Ally Lang serve HIA together in their roles as Co-Founders and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer, respectively.

say, ‘Why would God let me do this?’ He’s blamed for everything. To rewrite that is one of the most powerful things.”

THE DYNAMIC DUO

From the beginning of HIA, Lance always used his best friend, Ally (VinZant at the time), as a sounding board. They weren’t in a relationship for a while, as they both worked through their own issues, but Ally ended up doing a lot of free work for HIA.

“I really don’t know that I could’ve done any of this on my own,” Lance admitted. “It might’ve gotten too heavy if I didn’t have Ally here with me. She’s been an anchoring point for me to continue to fight for this dream and build it.”

About two years after the birth of the nonprofit in 2013, Ally also felt a call from God to start serving full time alongside Lance at HIA. She jumped into the work wholeheartedly, creating a vision

NEW LIFE — HIA residents and staff from across the country gathered for Culture Night in May at the Hope is Alive office, where they celebrated 37 baptisms

statement and helping open the first women’s home.

Separately, Lance and Ally are impactful, inspiring individuals — but the Lord united them in marriage in 2016, and together they are an unstoppable force.

“We’re both very dynamic personalities who most of the time think we’re right,” Lance laughed. “Even that natural tension has made the organization great. Ultimately, the mission has been made better and more effective because neither one of us will back down.”

With Lance as the visionary Chief Executive Officer and Ally as the tenacious Chief Operations Officer, they are changing thousands of lives. They love serving together as husband and wife in the mission field God has given them.

“There’s no other way it would work,” Ally said. “It has to be something we’re

passionate about as a family, because it’s too heavy of a burden on our own. You can’t halfway do Hope is Alive. If we were not going through this together, it probably would’ve taken us out. I can’t imagine a world where one of us isn’t a part of this organization.”

Lance sees what could be and hypes people up, but says “Ally makes it better and more beautiful.” Lance is the idea guy, a king of celebration, and Ally implements the vision.

“That’s what makes it magical — well, God makes it magical — but it’s the combination of my and Lance’s ideas together,” Ally explained.

Hope is Alive would not be what it is today without the couple’s commitment and drive.

“We’ve given our entire lives, every part of our lives, to HIA,” Ally said.

THE FUTURE

ONLY THE BEGINNING

“The best is yet to come.” That’s the mantra Hope is Alive leadership and residents live by. Despite the radical life changes they’ve seen or experienced, they know God has even greater things planned ahead.

Nearly 200 graduates have now completed the HIA program, and these alumni are creating change in their own corners of the world. With occupations ranging from banker and car salesman to research coordinator and entrepreneur, these men and women are filling the workplace with hope.

High school dropouts are now college graduates. Absent fathers are now present, filled with joy and peace instead of anger and fear. Anxious mamas now give their worries to Jesus instead of turning to alcohol.

Krysten Adams, an HIA alumna who fought alcoholism for years, eventually realized she couldn’t win on her own. She wanted to be there for her young daughter but felt like she failed her over and over again.

“I found the only way to beat this disease: I found God,” Krysten said. “Today, my daughter, Monroe, has the best version of her mother she could have.”

HIA graduate Luke Armstrong didn’t believe people could change. After becoming a resident, Luke relapsed and spent time in jail. He was living in fear, but he didn’t want to admit it to anyone.

“Fear drives us in here (to HIA), but when you get a little bit of hope, that’s fuel, and it will take you so much further than fear will,” Luke explained.

He went from a place of compliance to one of surrender. He never imagined spending two years as a program manager for HIA, serving other broken men and women like himself – but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Alcohol and addiction are a family disease, but so is recovery,” Luke said.

Hope is Alive is all about shattering generational curses, and alumnus Brandon Howland knows what it means to break the mold. His dad is an alcoholic and his mother died of suicide by overdose. Not one of his blood relatives attended his HIA graduation.

“I’m the HIA orphan,” Brandon said. “But God provided for me and has adopted me into the family of Christians. I finally found a place where I could belong.”

For those who think sobriety is the end goal of this organization, they’ve missed the point. Hope is Alive is so much more than a sober-living program. It’s a safe space to learn how to grow, a place to build a foundation of faith and a launching pad.

“People get to the end of the program, and they think they’ve arrived,” Brandon said. “But we’re just getting started.”

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

With 10 years under their belt, this ministry is not showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, they are experiencing exponential growth and continue to add services that bring radical life change to addicts and those who love them.

“The dream is ever evolving, but it’s beginning to take some shape,” Lance said. “What I see us beginning to build is more of a wraparound service for anyone impacted by addiction in any walk of life. When people think about addiction and recovery in any way, we want them to think about HIA.”

first child together, has laid a heavy burden on their hearts for the families of addicts. “There is nothing that is more important than preparing the next generation and making sure that the sins of our generation are not passed down to him,” Ally said. “Having L.A. made us realize the impact, seriousness, and power of the work we’re doing and its impact on families, and it’s broken our hearts all over again.”

FAMILY BUSINESS — L.A. Lang, Lance and Ally’s

As Hope is Alive makes new inroads into schools and businesses, Ally sees opportunities to stop addiction from ever happening in the first place.

“My hope is that 10 years from now, we won’t even be dealing with addiction the way we are now, because we are rewriting the family systems as a whole,” Ally explained. “I think we’re going to be teaching — hopefully from children all the way to grandparents — how to effectively communicate, how to understand and process trauma, how to access mental health opportunities, how to feel feelings and articulate them so that we don’t internalize our problems.”

“There are endless possibilities of how we could continue to help more people,” Lance said. “We have no shortage of vision, ideas, or passion. We are coming across this 10-year mark with a ton of gas in the tank.”

A program in which 100 percent of our graduates are still sober for the rest of their lives, where we have homes all across the United States in which our graduates lead these programs and lead men/women to long-term sobriety each and every day.

Where our men/women have changed the face of recovery worldwide. Where each of our graduate’s story has been told thousands of times, written about, and followed by other men/women like an instruction manual to radical life change.

The Hope is Alive Program is responsible for millions of months of sobriety and thousands of lives saved. We will redefine the way people get and stay sober. We will radically change the way, on a basic level, humans interact with each other, always offering grace and kindness, but not backing down on holding others accountable.

V I S I O N

GRADUATION DAY — Lance and Ally Lang commend 13 HIA graduates for completing the program. The ceremony in June celebrated the largest graduating class since HIA’s inception.

CROSSINGS COMMUNITY CHURCH

Hosted by Hope is Alive, Night of Hope is a one-of-a-kind FREE night of worship with Bethel Music’s Josh Baldwin and special

SEPTEMBER

30,

OPENS

AT 7:30AM

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

Paul

Alumni 2020 Wichita

Hope is Alive taught me to live a life worth living. They helped me strengthen my relationship with God. Using the core values that they taught me, I have been able to recover from alcoholism, quit smoking, beat cancer and live a wonderful life. Thank you, Hope is Alive!

Jordan

Alumni 2019 Oklahoma City

HIA has given me the tools to be able to live life on life’s terms, an alumni community, and a new foundation of recovery. I’m forever grateful that I was given a safe place to heal and work through trauma and family reunification. This organization taught me that I can do difficult things, that I don’t have to do life alone, that sobriety is fun, and that Jesus is the answer! Today I’m a college graduate, a research coordinator, a wife, a present mom, and able to give back to my community. Grateful for HIA and all they’ve done and continue to do for me and my family!

Kevin Alumni 2022

Oklahoma City

I am so grateful for HIA giving me the opportunity to return to life. This thing goes beyond me — my family has been changed by HIA. The foundation HIA laid out for me will forever be a part of my life. The life skills I learned through HIA will never go away. They are things I can always turn to during the ups and downs of life. Thanks to HIA for changing my life and my family’s life, my daughter will never see the struggle her dad once went through.

This year, dozens more men and women will graduate the Hope is Alive Program, joining the HIA alumni! Your generosity makes this possible.

Whitney

Alumni 2021 Wichita

Hope is Alive has empowered me to dream a little bit bigger. I once hoped to just be “making it,” but now I get to lead others to life beyond survival. The girl I could barely look at in the mirror has a purpose and a calling on her life!

I am now soaring in areas of my life that I had felt the need to couch with a drink. I have the support and confidence to keep moving forward when things become challenging. With God there is nothing too difficult to overcome! I thank Him every day for family restoration, community, purpose and hope for the future!

Christian Alumni 2021

Tulsa

Hope is Alive gave me my life back and more! Hope is Alive means so much to me because it helped bring a community of people to help, encourage and grow with, with Jesus at the center of it all. My whole life I had been searching for acceptance and love but didn’t know that is what I was looking for till I came to Hope is Alive. God brought me just that, through the amazing friendships I found in this program. I am forever grateful for Hope is Alive and all the people in it!

Alumni 2022 Ari

Oklahoma City

Hope is Alive saved my life. Spending the last two years of a 20-year addiction desperately searching for help and direction with how to stay sober, I had given up all hope. By trusting the process that the Hope is Alive program developed, I am a proud graduate and alumni member experiencing the life I never thought possible.

Today as an HIA alumni, I sponsor other men in recovery leading them to trust the process. I have the privilege of working for HIA connecting the local community to resources and developing lasting relationships for the men and women in the program. I have been blessed beyond measure to start my own family by getting married a few months ago. I have a real relationship with the God of the universe and trust Him and His process in doing things.

Thank you HIA for giving me the opportunity to become the man of God I was designed to be. The best is yet to come.