When David left prison, he had nothing but two pairs of sweatpants and two t-shirts. Everything changed when he attended his first meeting with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Detroit’s Justice Initiative Prison Ministry.
“I remember talking to Dorian about what was going on with me. He instantly felt like a brother,” David said. “His counseling and mentorship was motivating and comforting. God knew that at that time in my life I needed to be lifted.”
David came in asking only for toilet paper, but the Justice Initiative gave him far more. Dorian sat with him, listened, and sent him home with gift cards to cover his most pressing needs. In the months that followed, SVdP Detroit provided monetary assistance toward a vehicle and housing, helping him rebuild on solid ground.
“I began to recognize that I mattered. I actually felt God’s love through them,” David said. “I was spiritually encouraged to keep my faith and stay the course. SVdP Detroit, my church, and most important my trust in God has sustained me.”
David has now worked with the Justice Initiative for about four years, through struggles that included the loss of his wife. Dorian told him, “You are now part of the SVdP Detroit family. Christ loves you and so do we. You will never have to feel alone again.” Today, David has a job he loves and owns his own LLC. “From nothing to a lot of something, the Lord has blessed me tremendously,” he said. “I now seek to lift up others in the same way SVdP Detroit has been there for me.”
