“I’m Mighty Grateful for the Food They’ve Given Me”: Patron Works Toward Self-Sufficiency After Time in Prison

Oct 7, 2014 | Blog, Serving people

The patron whose story follows asked to remain anonymous. For purposes of the story, his name has been changed to Trevor. 

“You could say I lost my way,” Trevor began. His story is one he doesn’t usually tell because he doesn’t like to remember the days that led to him being put in prison. 

A few years ago, Trevor started drinking, which later led him to sell drugs. When police caught him, he was put in prison. Trevor wondered what he was going to do when he got out of prison and how he would survive. 

“When I got out on parole, I was able to go to the Foundry. They helped me go to rehab and the community education center,” he said. “Things were better, so I ended up living at my brother’s house and working part time. But we couldn’t afford to keep up the rent, so I had to go back to a halfway house.”

From there, things went downhill again and Trevor had to live at the Salvation Army and go back to rehab. Once out of rehab, he was homeless and lived at the Firehouse Shelter while he awaited public housing. That was when Trevor first heard about GBM. 

“I had a couple of friends tell me about this place called Greater Birmingham Ministries, and I’m so grateful they did,” he said. “I’m mighty grateful for the food they’ve given me and the resources they have.”

These days Trevor is living drug-free and has a place to stay in public housing, and he’s looking forward to better days ahead. “I want to do better and I’m looking forward to being a productive citizen,” he said. “I’m working on it.”

 If you’d like to make a donation to GBM’s food pantry for people like Trevor, click here to make a monetary donation online, or you can drop food off at the GBM’s location, 2304 12th Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35234, Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 4:30pm. All donations are tax deductible.