Archive for January, 2009

A Life Transformed

Dove’s Nest Shows God’s love, Provides Healing

The best gift I ever got was the gift of desperation. That gift came as the result of 27 years of drinking and drugging. During that time I was dishonest and manipulative. I stole things and I prostituted myself. I would go days at a time without eating, sleeping or bathing. At one time or another, I landed in jail, behavioral health centers and battered women’s shelters. I was unemployed and homeless. Drugs and alcohol were slowly killing me.

It was that desperation that made me realize I was spiritually, physically and financially broken and that I was finally ready for help. it was late October 2007 when I called Dove’s Nest. At that time, there was no room for me and I was placed on a waiting list, but I didn’t lose hope. Then after Thanksgiving I got the call offering me a place at Dove’s Nest. I was blown away when they told me that I would receive food, shelter, medical care and treatment for my addiction. I knew that this was the place I would finally get the help that I needed.

I brought a lot of baggage, in the form of shame and distrust, with me to Dove’s Nest. Over the next 120 days, I learned so much about the disease of addiction. The Lord Heal My Hurts course changed my life. In it I learned that God truly loved me and I slowly let go of my fears and resentments resulting from childhood sexual abuse. In my co-dependency classes I learned how to set healthy boundaries for myself and my life. During my Week of Silence, I grew spiritually and finally came to realize the power of drugs and alcohol had over my life. It was during this part of my stay that I fully understood that I had to submit to God’s will, not my own.

I take one day at a time now. I know that I am always one drink away from drunk and one hit away from high, so I work hard at my sobriety because I never want to go back to the way life was. But today I celebrate three years of sobriety. I have my own apartment and a full-time job. And service work has become a big part of my life now, because I want to help others just like I was helped.

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Dove's Nest

Robert’s Testimony

Independence from Drugs and Alcohol

Robert finds freedom at Rebound

He decided he had finally had enough. Nearly 30 years of alcohol and drug addiction resulting in the last 3 years of his life spent living in the woods had finally became too much. Known as the “local drunk,” Robert decided to end his life on the train tracks in North Charleston until a local police officer stopped him. “I was belligerent – I threw my drug paraphernalia at him and told him, ‘you’ll never see me again because I’m going to kill myself.’” Instead, the officer handcuffed him and took him to Mental Health where he spent the next12 days. From there he was referred to the Mission.

Though Robert had been to other treatment centers in the past, Rebound was different. “The other places I went only lasted 12 to 30 days. They helped me clean out my body and get physically healthy again, but the longer stay at Rebound gave me time to realize I truly wanted to change my life.” Thankfully, Robert decided that this time he did want to free himself from a life of drugs and alcohol. The extra time at Rebound also put Robert back in touch with God. “I used to blame Him for all my problems,” he says. Now he sees God’s hand in all parts of his life and his recovery.

“I’m so grateful to the police officer that stopped me that night,” says Robert. Now 53 years old, Robert has been sober for 17 months, the longest he has been clean since he started huffing glue at 12 years old. He now lives in the Mission’s Halfway House and is looking for a job. Though disabled as a result of a motorcycle accident, he remains optimistic and takes one day at a time with the help of other Rebound graduates. He thinks of where he came from and knows that he doesn’t ever want to go back there again. “I lived in the woods for all those years because I didn’t want to ask for help. Now I know that I can.”

1 COMMENT

Rebound

Jeremy’s Testimony

A Lasting Vacation From Crisis

Your support helps change people’s lives.

I started drinking at the age of 7 with my dad. We would have a couple of beers and go fishing together. From there I moved to having glasses of wine with my grandfather while we watched the Yankees play on television. I’ve pretty much been drinking for the last 28 years.

I grew up, got married, had a house and a good job in construction. I would go out after work with my co-workers and boss and drink most days. My drinking started to get worse and towards the end I would drink an average of a case a day. In the end, I lost my marriage, my house and my job – all because of my drinking.

After I lost my construction job, I ended up going on the carnival circuit. A former graduate told me about the Rebound program while I was in Pennsylvania. I needed to get away from there and could choose a job in Louisiana or the Rebound program in North Carolina. For some reason North Carolina stuck in my brain. For a year I thought about coming. Then my carnival job endd, I took my last paycheck and bought a one-way bus ticket to Charlotte.

While I was at rebound, I learned more about alcohol addiction and the medical aspects of addiction that I had never known. I learned a lot in class, especially how to understand and apply the Big Book.

After graduating the Rebound program, I have started to slowly get the things back that I gave away while drinking. I now have a good job, a stable place to live in the Halfway House and most importantly, I have my self-respect back.

Before, religion was not a big part of my life. Now I pray in the morning for strength to stay sober. I pray during the day for strength to handle the situations that come up and every day I ask, “OK, what can I learn from this?” Every night, I remember to thank God for one more day sober.

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Rebound

Expansion of the Dove’s Nest Facility

Starting in 1992, Dove’s Nest continues to work miracles as shown by its 74% client completion rate for its 120 day program compared to the national average of 18%. Many women, however, are being left on the outside as the facility can only support 12 women at any given time.

Currently, Dove’s Nest has a 90-day waiting list, and the list would be much longer except for the fact that many detox centers avoid referring clients because they know that the wait would be too long.

Recognizing the need for additional space, the Charlotte Rescue Mission is engaging in its first Capital Campaign to build a new facility to support more women in crisis. The Charlotte Rescue Mission (CRM) has purchased 11 acres on West Boulevard for construction of a new Dove’s Nest building which will increase treatment bed capacity from 12 to 120. This comprehensive new facility will feature the region’s first three-phased treatment approach providing:

90 Primary Care beds ( currently: 12 )
30 Children’s beds ( currently: 0 )

Another major improvement will be the addition of the capacity for women with children. We will have bunk beds and four people per room. A woman and up to three children will be able to stay in a single room.

The Capital Campaign kicked off in 2008 and we broke ground in Fall 2010. Our financial goal is to raise $11.2 million, which will provide the building plus three years of operating costs.

Finally, the Charlotte Rescue Mission is collaborating with United Family Services (UFS) on our 11 acre West Boulevard site. CRM will sell 5 acres for UFS to build an expanded Domestic Violence facility for women. It is likely that this West Boulevard campus will house two agencies dealing with two of the main issues facing homeless or at risk women: addiction and domestic violence.

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Capital Campaign

Get Involved

You have several opportunities to get involved in the Dove’s Nest Capital Campaign:

Attend a Dove’s Nest Lunch and Learn. Each Thursday Lunch and Learns are held from 12:00 – 1:15 at the current Dove’s Nest location. These Lunch and Learns provide details about the program and allow you to see “First-Hand” the miracles that are occurring at the center. To sign up for a Lunch and Learn please contact Hilary Howerton – sheila.mcdonald@charlotterescuemission.org – 704.334.4635 ext 213
Make a Pledge. Download the following Pledge Form and email the form to eju@charlotterescuemission.org, fax the form to 704-333-7285, or mail the form to the address below.Charlotte Rescue Mission
Attn: EJ Underwood
PO Box 33000
Charlotte, NC 28233
Donate Online. If you feel led to donate right now; you can do so online. Please make sure you select the Gift Type option – Dove’s Nest Capital Campaign. Charlotte Rescue Mission, is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Sponsor a bedroom. We are inviting groups (office groups, church groups, civic groups, etc.) to be part of the solution for women that struggle with homelessness and substance abuse. As a group project, we are asking groups to help raise $2500 to provide the furnishings for one client in the new Dove’s Nest facility. Each group will be recognized on a plaque in the lobby and will be invited to the dedication which is tentatively scheduled for August 2012. All funds need to be received no later than June 2012. If you or your group would like to take part in our Bed Sponsorship program, please call Sheila MacDonald at 704-334-4635 ext 213 or email at sheila.macdonald@charlotterescuemission.org

1 COMMENT

Capital Campaign

Tara’s Testimony

I’m Tara and I’m an alcoholic and an addict. I have been clean and sober for two years thanks to Dove’s Nest. I entered this program totally broken and dead on the inside. I had lost everything: kids, family, friends, marriage, home, cars, etc. You name it and I lost it due to my severe drug addiction.

I entered the doors of “The Nest” on November 9, 2007; I was completely dead inside, and there I found not only a warm meal and a roof over my head but a sense of safety that I hadn’t known in a long time. There were wonderful counselors there that gave me hope and showed me how to live a new way of life, clean and sober. I found the Tara that God had intended me to be all along.

I have since gotten my children back and am a great mother. I have an awesome family that I am engaged in. I am going back to school and making good grades to work with other alcholics and addicts. I attend AA meetings several times weekly and am very active in my sobriety. I NEVER could have imagined that my life would be the way it is today; I NEVER thought I could get sober and remain sober.

I am SO truely grateful to Dove’s Nest and ALL of its staff; that was a crucial part of the beginning of my new life. Thank you Dove’s Nest; you will ALWAYS be in my thoughts and prayers…I love you for all you have done for me and all the women’s lives you have changed!!!

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Dove's Nest