Richie’s Story

Richie came to UCAN over the summer after being asked to leave the place he was living. Struggling with using substances, mainly marijuana he kind of bottomed out. Upon arrival at the mission it took him some time to realize the staff had his best interests in mind. Richie specifically remembers the moment the staff cared. He said, “for the first time someone accepted me as a person and I had value”. Unconditional acceptance came to Richie’s mind as he looks back on his time at UCAN.

Richie met with UCAN’s caseworker who helped him connect with the services in the community he needed. He stated, “I followed all the steps the mission gave me which were all helping me move forward.” In addition, he was always ready to help at the mission, whether it was carrying items down to the kitchen, sorting clothes, helping prepare meals or just being available. This process continued to help him recognize his value and worth.

One big change for Richie was attending church and discovering he was greatly loved by God and that God valued him. He is so thankful for Pastor Calvis Emanuel and his ministry at UCAN. In Richie’s words, “God has changed my life.” He continues to attend church and his faith is growing.

Richie, with the help of the staff has found his own apartment and now has returned to UCAN as a parttime operations staff member. He is a stellar example of how with God’s help people can change. He added, “I am thankful for UCAN staff because they believed in me that I could move forward and they consistently encouraged me in moving forward.