“God brought me here to open my eyes.”

Brian wanted to follow in his older brothers' footsteps, so at 14 he started smoking pot. His addiction continued through high school and into college, where, despite his drug use, he managed to graduate and secure a job at a bank. His drug use escalated as he went to work from pot to pills and eventually to heroin. At 29, out of a job and living with his parents, Brian decided to enlist in the Army. It was there that his drug of choice became alcohol.

His drinking continued “hot and heavy" through the birth of a son, a marriage and divorce, and the loss of several jobs.

After experiencing so much loss, one night Brian attempted to end his life with booze and a bottle of pills. Thank God a woman witnessed it and called 911!

Brian was taken to Olathe Medical Center where they pumped his stomach and detoxed him. From there, he was sent to a mental health center here in Kansas City and then to Shelter KC.

"The first thing I thought was, 'What kind of atmosphere is this going to be?' I was worried because I was 58, walked with a cane, and had a fake hip," he remembers. “But when I got here, it was not what I expected. I was thankful to have food and a roof over my head."

Once his life was stable, Brian began thinking about the future. That included taking part in Shelter KC's Christian Community of Recovery (C-COR) program for men battling life-controlling addictions.

"After talking with one of the guys in the program, I realized that when the lady called the police to keep me from killing myself, that was God. Then God brought me here to open my eyes. After being on drugs for 40 years, God said, 'You need to come back to me. You need to straighten your life up.'"

"This place saved my life," Brian says. “There are a lot of people out there who need a chance to get back on their feet. We get three meals a day. A roof over our heads. So, ‘thank you' to all the donors. We appreciate it. The money is going to help men who have problems. I wouldn't want to be on the streets, and I wouldn't want anyone else to be."

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