Throughout his life, Eugene suffered from low self-esteem and felt he had no worth. “It was just lack of self-worth and I didn’t believe in myself. I had a good childhood and then I got involved in smoking pot and drinking.”

His lack of self-worth caused him to go down a road of destruction that included marijuana, alcohol, porn, sex, and laziness. His parents tried to help but their help only enabled him to continue in this lifestyle. “They enabled me all my life, my dad and my mom, and then my mom the last 19 years without my dad. He passed away and they always took me back when I’d run away even starting probably as a teenager. My parents got me through three DWIs.”

Eugene’s father passed followed by his mother. When his mother passed away, Eugene was left with an inheritance of over $180,000. Unable to manage this sudden access to money, Eugene spent through his inheritance and found himself homeless and living on the streets.

Eugene eventually found himself sleeping behind a church. The pastor and his congregation began to encourage Eugene and eventually helped him find his way to the Mission. 

Eugene came in and out of the Mission over the next couple of months but our staff continued to pour into him and minister to him. “I came here three times and like went AWOL like after three days each time because I just — the way I was brought up by just wasn’t used to this.” No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get rid of the love he received. Eugene finally surrendered and joined our 12-month New Beginnings Program. Since then, Eugene has graduated that program, found a job, and is currently residing at our TLC Campus. “Before I came to the Mission, I was lost. Now, I just want to follow Jesus. I completely lost any hope at all, any hope. And I had found that hope again here at the Mission through Christ.”