Ronnell was a hard worker, a loving husband and a dedicated dad to his two daughters. But since his youth, he had harbored a dark secret — he was addicted to alcohol and marijuana. In his own words, Ronnell was a functioning user, but eventually, his addiction got the better of him.

After his daughters grew up, Ronnell and his wife divorced. His dependence on drugs escalated. “It kept getting worse and worse, to the point where I just wasn’t really caring anymore,” he admits. His addiction, he says, “destroyed everything.”

First, Ronnell lost his job and then, he lost his home. Reduced to sleeping in his car, he realized he had reached rock bottom. He contacted the Milwaukee Rescue Mission for assistance.

“They looked after me,” Ronnell says. “They gave me something to eat, somewhere to live. I could get my thoughts back together, think about what I really wanted in life.”

 What Ronnell really wanted was an opportunity to change. He found it in our men’s recovery program. “I knew other guys who went through it, and it was exactly what I needed. It definitely met my expectations,” he tells us.

In addition to the addiction recovery support he received, Ronnell says the best part of the program was learning about God. Before he came to MRM, Ronnell did not have a foundation in faith. “At first when I would read the Bible, I just had no understanding of what they were really saying.” With the help of staff, Ronnell learned about God’s love for him and how to live out his newfound faith.

Ronnell recently completed the program and now works at MRM as a Guest Care Advocate. Ronnell says, “I’ve always been a person who likes to help people.” And now, that’s what he does, helping other hurting men get their lives back on track. And he’s also rebuilt a relationship with his daughters, is proud of his granddaughter and is thankful to “be around to see her grow up.”

 “I’m happy that I was able to get better, and that I was able to find a place (to do that),” Ronnell says. “There are many people out there who want help, and there are people here who truly care, who want to help them learn about God and establish a better life.”

Thank you for being one of those caring people! Through your support, many more neighbors like Ronnell will find faith and purpose and make a fresh start here at MRM.