David’s life turned upside down when his stepfather passed away. He’d been a part of their family since David was little, and David called him “Dad.” Then, David’s mother lost her battle with cancer – and the once strong family crumbled into complete destruction.

Before losing his parents, David’s life had been a happy one. With six siblings, there was always something to do. But after seeing sickness and death in his parents at a young age, David struggled to cope.

“I started blaming everyone,” said David. “I had no one to keep me accountable after that so I started making bad choices.” To take his pain away, David turned to drugs. And before long, he began struggling with addiction… then homelessness. At first, it was just the occasional night on the streets when he couldn’t find a friend to take him in. But eventually, he became homeless full time. That’s when he knew he needed help.

“I realized my life wasn’t as perfect as I thought it was. It was actually pretty filthy. I looked for a way to improve my situation – and found the Christian Aid Center.” David joined our Rebuilders life-change program and started building good habits – but the biggest difference was finally having accountability for his actions.

“It was an eye-opener to realize I couldn’t care for myself,” he says. “I hadn’t been able to feed myself or put a roof over my head. I realized how broken I was.” Through our program, David healed from his past and overcame his addiction. That was nearly 10 years ago – and he has enjoyed a happy, self-sufficient life ever since.

David was able to build a future because of your heart of compassion for him and other neighbors in need. Because you chose to share God’s love, he has a path forward in life. “I’m thankful to the CAC because they clothed me, housed me and fed me. I still have imperfections, but I’m able to support myself now.”

Hot Meals During Construction

Our meal service for the community will continue every day during construction. Look for the CAC van in the parking lot on Poplar Street (between 4th and 5th streets) and receive your hot meal to-go at the usual times.

7:30-8:00 am - Breakfast

5:30-6:00 pm - Dinner

Douglas did well professionally. He worked in photography, clockmaking and quality control. But throughout his career he struggled with addiction. It started when his parents died – his dad from alcohol abuse, and his mom from cancer. Douglas turned to alcohol to numb his grief.

Even though Douglas spent years as a functioning alcoholic, his past eventually caught up with him to the point that he needed intensive mental health treatment. When he was released, he had nowhere to go – so he came to the Christian Aid Center.

“I was no longer able to handle my past emotionally… or really to take care of myself at all. The CAC gave me all the essentials I needed to survive – food and shelter – and then the opportunity to work on the intangible things that matter even more, like healing spiritually and emotionally.”

Douglas joined our Rebuilders Program and started processing his past in healthy ways. He appreciates the CAC’s focus on his social and emotional health, and he likes that it is Bible-based. When he arrived, his relationship with God was in a rocky place. While at the treatment center for his mental health, he’d struggled with faith and had dark periods of doubt. But through our recovery program, he hopes to find peace and trust again.

“It’s well known that the Christian Aid Center is an anchor in the community. People can count on it for help when they’re ready to get off the streets and live their life in a different direction,” he says.

Thank you for sharing God’s love with Douglas! His life has been renewed through the joy and hope of the Gospel. “I want to continue to develop. Right now, seeds are being planted in my life that will later grow into beautiful things for my future. I’m thankful.”

When Brianna was 8 years old, she found her stepfather dead. Her childhood hadn’t been easy before that. Her parents struggled with addiction, and Brianna and her siblings spent time in foster care.

But her stepfather’s death was a trauma Brianna couldn’t get past. As she got older, she tried using drugs to push it to the back of her mind. She stopped going to school regularly, and she experienced homelessness.

“My mom had other boyfriends who didn’t like me very much, and they kicked me out of our house,” she explains.

Even though she was barely going to school, Brianna earned her GED during her junior year. After that, her drug use intensified, and she became homeless again. Life on the streets was dangerous for a teenage girl.

“I was assaulted a couple of times,” she says, “so I would try to find somewhere kinda secluded so people wouldn’t mess with me.”

Brianna’s life started to change when she got pregnant and had a son. She found an apartment and stopped using drugs for a time, but shortly after his birth, she relapsed. Her son started spending more and more time with his father’s parents. Then, Brianna got pregnant again.

“I got very depressed. My son was only 5 months old. I realized I had to grow up and stop using and put my children first,” she said.

She came to the Christian Aid Center before she gave birth to her second child, a daughter who she named Aurora. Since then, she has focused on staying sober and learning life skills like parenting, budgeting and housework. She’s also planning to go back to school to study culinary arts.

Perhaps most importantly, the CAC is showing Briana her self-worth and helping her know that God loves her. “It was hard at first to hear people say nice things about me, because I’m not really used to that. I’m still working on it, but it has really helped me in my recovery.”

Brianna has hope now thanks to the CAC and our many faithful supporters. “When I arrived, I was broken. Now, I am healing. The CAC really helped me.”