Robbie* watched people all around him using drugs and alcohol. He joined in, enjoying the camaraderie, until it spiraled down into addiction and hopelessness . . . then came an angel sent by God to bring him to Nashville Rescue Mission to find a new beginning through friends like you!

“I’m a welder by trade. I made pretty good money,” Robbie says, remembering being part of a work crew where he encountered drugs for the first time.

“After a hard day’s work, we’re drinking beer. One guy pulled out some cocaine. I worked with these guys every day and thought, why not? They do it, so it’s okay. They’ve got houses and cars, so it can’t be that bad. It didn’t work out that way for me.”

Addiction took hold of Robbie quickly, and every attempt to stop only blew up in his face. After years of lost jobs, broken relationships, and brushes with the law, he found himself behind bars.

“Three years in prison with no drinking, but then I got out, and I started doing the same thing again,” he says, shaking his head at the memory of the despair that was consuming him. “It was house to house, apartment to apartment, girlfriend to girlfriend. It was all downhill.”

Then came a chance encounter with a stranger who asked Robbie, “Man, are you from Nashville?”

It was a simple case of mistaken identity, but it launched a conversation that would change Robbie’s life. “We began to talk. I was telling him about the hard times I was having and my struggles. He says, ‘Have you ever heard of Nashville Rescue Mission?’ I said, ‘No, I never heard of it.’ So, I pulled my phone out as he went around the corner, and I never saw him again.

“I Googled the Mission, and two weeks later, here I am. So, I said, ‘It [was] an angel.’”

Robbie was welcomed into our Life Recovery Program, where Christ-centered care gave him the tools to break the hold of addiction and restore his relationship with Christ.

“I got baptized when I was 16, but only because grandma said so,” Robbie says. “I got baptized here July 14th for the real reason—believing in Christ. I surrendered, genuinely believed, and gave my life to Christ.”

Robbie gives thanks to God each day for the new beginning he’s found here at the Mission. And he has heartfelt words of thanks for donors who choose to support the lifesaving, life-changing programs and services that impact so many men, women, and families.

“I want to thank all the people who donate,” Robbie says. “I want them to know their donations are very helpful. God bless them for funding this,” he says, recalling the help he’s received with everything from dental care to eyeglasses to medicine. “I know it all comes from God. He touched people’s hearts to give.

“Nashville Rescue Mission, I call this my second family,” he says. “Eventually, I’m going to give back to help somebody.”

Today, Robbie is loving life. He’s rebuilt damaged relationships with loved ones, including his children. He’s working to receive HVAC certifications that will give him independence and security for the abundant life God has in store for him.

Thank you for partnering with Nashville Rescue Mission to reach people in great need of meals, shelter, and life-changing Christ-centered care!

*Name changed for privacy.