Richard got the worst start in life possible. He grew up in a drug and gambling house. The terrified boy would wake up with strangers passed out in his bed. At 15, his father stabbed him with a knife. Richard's own drug use was nearly as lethal. As an adult, Richard arrived at our door emaciated and seriously ill with untreated diabetes. Richard joined one of our recovery programs soon after arriving. "The Genesis Program has been a big boost to me in teaching me how to deal with issues other than how I have been in the past which was usually some type of assault or turning to drugs or other really self-destructive behavior....I wouldn't be around right now without the program". Today, Richard is growing and is committed to his sobriety. He volunteers regularly at his church and is now on staff at our Men's Shelter. "If it hadn't been for the Mission, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be dead," he told us. "Where I'm at compared to where I was -- it's a miracle."