We all know that drug addiction can lead to homelessness and a multitude of other afflictions. Substance abuse can rob a person of his or her health, mental capacity, lifestyle and hopes for the future. At Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we provide substance abuse treatment to thousands of people from various walks of life. Drug addiction is an “equal opportunity” disease. It doesn’t discriminate. No matter what ethnicity, gender or age, you can succumb to substance abuse and its negative impact.

Some treatment programs help people get off drugs for a short period of time and then they return to the streets and often to their former lifestyle. That type of treatment is simply not enough to turn around a life, especially after years of drug abuse. You have to provide addicts with the tools to kick their drug habits permanently. That means offering a continuum of care that includes life skills, job training, academic courses and spiritual counseling.

That’s what we do at DRMM. Our focus is on helping people become functional and contributing members of society. That’s the only way to conquer the substance abuse that has held them down for so long. Our detoxification program and 90-day in-patient treatment are followed by intensive case management and aftercare services. Community collaborations are essential in regaining and maintaining this sobriety. Whether it’s the Health Department, Corrections Department or Housing Department, we all have to work together to assist in recovery efforts.

It is also extremely important for recovering addicts to reconnect with their families, churches and the community. They need to know that someone cares about them and their future. Everyone has the right to put a negative past behind them and move on to a positive, new beginning —much like the woman in this video who came to DRMM to beat a longtime drug addiction: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1288082/drmm_services_with_elaine_s_story/

And that’s just one person’s story. There are thousands more like it! Help us help them by supporting our mission and keeping us in your prayers.