Some people say a meal is just a meal. Not Randy.

After years of living on the streets, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and sleeping in a portable toilet, Randy describes his first meal at the Union Gospel Mission — a meal that YOU helped provide — as amazing.

The Message That Came With The Meal

“From the moment I walked into the Mission, I was so broken, so overwhelmed by the feeling of hopelessness, I was ready to receive it. Not just the meal but the message that came with the meal . . .”

“I was a farm kid. In 1997, the streets were a scary place to be. I locked myself in a porta potty to be safe.”

That somebody loved him. That he hadn’t been forgotten. That God had something better in store.

“I was sitting down, filling my stomach with this wonderful food,” he says. “It was a level of comfort I hadn’t experienced in a long time.”

And then he went to Chapel.

God Caused a Dramatic Turnaround

“They sang ‘Amazing Grace’ and I was just in tears,” he recalls. “My loneliness began to vanish.”

Randy’s life made a dramatic turnaround.

Today, Randy is director of the Mission’s Christ Recovery Center, is happily married and celebrated 16 years of sobriety.

I Know I’ve Been Blessed

“Sometimes, I wonder if I’m going to wake up and find myself in that porta potty again,” he laughs. “I just want to live my life with a level of gratitude, knowing I’m blessed, and realizing that God has given me the privilege of helping others.”

“Truly, it’s been an amazing journey,” he adds.

Watch now and share hope with someone who needs it!