When Mike woke up in a hospital bed after overdosing, he knew he had to change his ways. But 28 years of drug and alcohol abuse is a hard lifestyle to break out of. That's why he didn't just go to any recovery program. He felt called by God to come to the Mission.

His addiction started when he was just 13. There was a lot of abuse in his home. So Mike tried to cope by using drugs and alcohol. For the next 28 years, he lived on the run.

Then one day, some people found Mike in a motel room after he had overdosed. After that, he knew he needed to change. "I needed somewhere where I could build a foundation for myself," Mike recalls. "It's awesome now. Being able to open up more and love people . . . have faith and understanding. Everything has been a blessing since coming here . . . everything has been a miracle."

Today, Mike has a construction job and, at 43, he finally received his GED! Sober for more than a year now, Mike has learned that life is all about "giving back." Mike says, "I plan to go out and speak at jails and institutions . . . making my $50 a month donation to the Mission . . . just bringing strength and hope to other people because now I have it."