Springtime Brings New Life at the Mission

Jeffrey was hurting when he returned from Afghanistan. You provided the help he needed.

Many veterans return from active duty with scars only they can see. Jeffrey is one of them. A long-time Air Force reservist, Jeffrey’s last two deployments were in Afghanistan. When he came home in 2007, he suffered from PTSD. “It was hard for me to focus or to live a normal life,” he recalls. “I had nightmares, and I wasn’t sleeping at night.” Jeffrey turned to the VA for help, but the medications they prescribed led to a deep addiction. “The next ten years were a tough ride for me,” he says. “I was never on the street, but I was close to it. I knew I had to do something.” Having grown up in Memphis, Jeffrey knew about Memphis Union Mission and came here two days before Thanksgiving in 2017. “It was difficult. I had to relearn to live my life and start a new direction, but once I accepted that, the growth could start.”

Jeffrey not only grew in the Iron-on-Iron program, he thrived. “In the first few days, I thought, I’ve just got to take care of myself. But by the end of the program, I was concentrating on what I could do to help lead others.” After completing the program, Jeffrey went on to live in the Wright Transitional House, where he led others as a Resident Assistant. “That was a real learning experience for me,” he says. “When I would see things going on with the guys, I would think, you got to give grace. I understand what grace is all about now.”

Today, Jeffrey is retired and living on a farm in Alabama. He works three days a week, serving at a memory care facility. “This is what God wants me to do. I’m glad to help others when I can.” Jeffrey’s ties to Memphis Union Mission remain strong. “I still have tears in my eyes when I think about the program. I’ll always be a huge supporter of everything the Mission does. I’m a living witness that they saved my life.” And for Jeffrey, that life is well worth living. “I’ve got every single thing I could want right now. I couldn’t be happier!” “I’m a living witness that they saved my life.” —Jeffrey