Clean Heart, Clean Habits
Drugs and alcohol had a firm grip on Van. Time and again when he would try to give up the harmful substances they would pull him back in. His addiction was so strong he had to separate from his wife and children to avoid causing domestic turmoil.
“I fell [away] through pride and unforgiveness and it took me back to the street life,” he said.
Born in Kansas City and raised in Colorado, Van grew up in church and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at age 8. He was baptized not long after. Van’s life appeared to be headed in the right direction until he hit his teenage years. His faith faltered and he began experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
Entering young adulthood, Van moved to Bloomington, Illinois, for a job with a logistics company. He came to Indianapolis when the company opened a facility about 25 years ago. Van met, and married, his wife and, for 10 years, life was good again and he stayed clean. But it didn’t last. He succumbed to temptation and returned to the bottle. Worse yet, Van started using crack cocaine. His drug and alcohol habit took a heavy toll on his marriage and led to Van’s arrest on a domestic disturbance charge.
Van couldn’t go home but he didn’t want to live on the street, either. He entered our Men’s Shelter for the first of four residencies two days before Christmas 2013. Over the next eight years Van would check into the shelter, stay for up to six months, and then leave to again return to his old way of life.
After a third relapse Van was ready to end his chemical dependency once and for all. He was admitted into a drug rehabilitation center in Fort Wayne. When his treatment was over, rather than return home, Van came back to the Men’s Shelter. He wanted to make sure he was both physically and spiritually right before reuniting with his wife. He’s been with us since June 2023.
“I knew I had to make a change. It was a life and death situation,” Van said.
Now, at age 54, Van has recommitted his life to Christ, joined a local church and is in a training program at Purposeful Design, a faith-based custom furniture manufacturer that hires homeless and downtrodden men. He’s been sober for nearly 18 months.
Van is doing so well he was selected for Operation Next Step, our program for men who are close to being self-sufficient and independent but still need a measure of structure and accountability. He recently moved into a 4-bedroom house on the Good News campus. Van lives with 3 other men in the program and each one enjoys a private room while sharing common areas such as the kitchen and living room. He will continue to work and meet regularly with his counselor, receiving Biblical guidance and support as needed.
Van’s family relationships have also improved. He and his wife are seeking Christian counseling, with the goal of Van eventually moving back home. But his connection to Good News won’t end when he leaves. He wants to work with guys like him who’ve struggled with substance abuse and believes his story can motivate them to change.
“Good News is like a second home to me,” he said. “I knew where to go to get my life sorted out, and this place was it. Good News has continually helped me grow in my salvation. They are teaching me proper relationships with my family and other people. “It has been a blessing.”