His new life begins now

Javier recently secured his dream job working for AAA.

For nearly 30 years, Javier’s life was consumed by addiction, chaos, and broken relationships. Starting at just 12 years old, he fell into a deep cycle of drug and alcohol use that eventually left him estranged from his wife and children, homeless, and hopeless. “I didn’t believe in anything, not even myself,” Javier said. “I had no hope. I had no direction. I was just surviving, day to day.” He described the devastating toll addiction took. “Drugs destroyed everything. I lost my wife, my kids, my family. I depended on the streets. I depended on the next high.”

His turning point came when he entered the recovery program at Renewed Hope. “I came in with no belief, but something happened when I met the team here,” he said. “It was the first time I trusted someone in a long time.” Gradually, through responsibility and brotherhood, he began to rebuild.

Javier reached major milestones: getting a job, getting baptized, and attending his son’s college graduation. “That day meant everything. I had never even been to any graduation before. But there I was, clean and present, celebrating my son’s achievement.” He now manages responsibilities with pride, pays insurance on time, and even owns a car.

Spiritual growth was essential. Through a community partner, Brewline men’s ministry, Javier met Henry, a mentor who became a steady guide. “Henry helped keep me grounded … I could call Henry and he’d give me the truth I needed.” Program Manager Oscar Corral also helped him open up and embrace faith again. “He reminded me that God hadn’t given up on me, even when I had.” The support Javier received helped him reconnect with his faith. “Now I don’t just believe in God—I depend on Him.”

One of Javier’s biggest dreams was to work for AAA, something he thought his past would prevent. But with faith and encouragement, he applied—and was hired. “I thought there was no way. But somehow, some way, I passed all the requirements. That was God. That was faith.”

After 22 months at Renewed Hope, graduating from both the Life Recovery and Transitional Living programs, Javier is preparing to move in with his 81-year-old father, someone he hadn’t spoken to in years. “Because of my recovery, we’ve been able to reconnect. Now, I get to be there for him.” He plans to continue attending church and return to the Mission to help others. “If God did it for me, He can do it for them.”

When asked why people should support the Mission, Javier is clear: “Because this place doesn’t just house people, it restores lives. They gave me grace when I didn’t deserve it.”

Through every step, from the first night off the streets to finding peace with his father, his life now reflects the very name of the program that helped save him—Renewed Hope.