Ryan began using marijuana as a teenager. His parents describe the four years after he finished his high school as a "living nightmare." They tried everything to reach Ryan. Finally, they placed him in a drug treatment center. It cost $350 a day and didn't work. Broken-hearted and at their wits' end, Ryan's parents asked him to move out. After staying with friends and facing a life of homelessness, Ryan came back, ready for change. This time, his parents brought him to Riverton Place - a residential recovery program at the Mission. A year later, Ryan graduated from the program and was accepted at Multnomah Bible College in Portland.

Ryan just completed his fourth year at Multnomah. After a summer working with the Portland Parks and Recreation Department, he will return to Multnomah for his final quarter, graduating in December with a major in Bible and a minor in Music.

It costs just $31.03 a day to keep a young man like Ryan in our recovery program. An investment you make today can provide real change not just for one man but for those inspired by Ryan's story.