An online friend of mine from Michigan forwarded the following video to me early today. It features a U.S. Army Veteran named Jim Wolf who struggled for decades with alcoholism, poverty, and homelessness. He apparently became involved with a Grand Rapids-based program called Degage Ministries a couple months back and agreed to go through a physical transformation and allow that process to be recorded via timelapse videography.
Wolf's physical transformation was stunning. Not only that, but he has gone through other transformations since getting involved with Degage Ministries back in September. He now has a permanent place to live and he is maintaining sobriety with the assistance for programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.
I understand that homelessness salutation usually aren't that simple and I'm not naïve enough to set aside the potential for Wolf to relapse and/or backslide. But it's amazing how easily perceptions can be altered based off simple changes of his grooming and of his clothing.
Monday is Veteran's Day. There are many veterans out there like Jim Wolf who are homeless, who are struggling with addiction as well as with mental and physical illnesses, and those who are straddling the line between holding it together and losing it all.
Let's not forget those who served this country and who never quite made it back in one piece. Not just on Veteran's Day, but everyday. There are always opportunities for reaching out -- through service, through monetary donations, and through friendship. Please consider ways that you can serve those who are in need in your community.
Wolf's physical transformation was stunning. Not only that, but he has gone through other transformations since getting involved with Degage Ministries back in September. He now has a permanent place to live and he is maintaining sobriety with the assistance for programs like Alcoholics Anonymous.
I understand that homelessness salutation usually aren't that simple and I'm not naïve enough to set aside the potential for Wolf to relapse and/or backslide. But it's amazing how easily perceptions can be altered based off simple changes of his grooming and of his clothing.
Monday is Veteran's Day. There are many veterans out there like Jim Wolf who are homeless, who are struggling with addiction as well as with mental and physical illnesses, and those who are straddling the line between holding it together and losing it all.
Let's not forget those who served this country and who never quite made it back in one piece. Not just on Veteran's Day, but everyday. There are always opportunities for reaching out -- through service, through monetary donations, and through friendship. Please consider ways that you can serve those who are in need in your community.