Earl’s Story

When his parents died, Earl went to live with his grandparents. When his grandfather became too old to work, Earl quit school at 14 and went to work in the coal mines.

Years later, a mine accident left him with a broken neck, a broken back, and a punctured lung.

“I had to have some surgeries done, and that led to pain pills,” he remembers. “The pain pills led to something harder. Finally, I was on fentanyl, heroin, whatever I could find.”

“It was the dope that got me into prison,” Earl says. “I got to the point where it meant more to me than anything.”

Under the influence of drugs, Earl even broke into his own house.

“I knocked a window out, cut my hand, and ended up charged with first-degree burglary,” he remembers. “I had been up for like 35 days. I don’t even know what I was thinking at that time.”

Incarcerated at Blackburn Correctional Complex, Earl learned about the Mission, and when he had served his time, he came here.

Thanks to your support, Earl has been on a very different path. “I go to church. I enjoy helping people.
I volunteer over at the Outreach Center every day to give them a helping hand. I’ve seen some of those people come in there, and they’re pretty wild. I just tell them, ‘I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there.’ That helps me.”

Earl has also rekindled his relationship with his remaining family, talking to them nearly every day.

“The Mission is a Godsend. It’s awesome. They’re down to earth. Someone you can relate to, talk to. I’d recommend it to anybody. If they want to start over, this would be the place to come.”

Thank you for making a difference in Earl’s life through your prayers and generosity!