Ralph: Fifty Stories for Fifty Years
Close your eyes and imagine what someone struggling with an addiction looks like. There’s a good chance that what you imagined looks nothing like Ralph.
The phrase, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” normally means, the inside is better than the outside. For Ralph, it was just the opposite.
I had a picture-perfect life — a beautiful wife, great kids,
a nice home, a loving church family,” Ralph shares. “By the
world’s standards, I was successful. I had a medical degree and
even a seminary degree, but I also had an addiction that was
taking a toll on my family.
At the Foundry, we believe Every Family Deserves Hope! In our almost 50 years of ministering to this community, we’ve seen people enter our recovery programs from all walks of life.
“All kinds of people struggle with addiction, and I was one of them,” Ralph adds. “I had never even tried alcohol until I was 35 but started drinking socially. Then I was drinking to relax at night, then to relieve back pain, and it was getting out of control.”
For Ralph, his addiction was unraveling his wonderful life. He found himself drinking more alcohol, more often, and it was becoming a big problem.
Because you care, we were able to be there for him and his family. Ralph graduated from the Foundry with a foundation of renewed faith and resilience upon which he could rebuild his family and life.
Today, after several years of sobriety, Ralph serves as the general manager of distribution for our Foundry Thrift Stores.
“I hope my story inspires someone to get the help they need. It changed my life!”
Michelle, Ralph’s wife, would also like to share her gratitude with you. “Thanks to your generous support, the Foundry was there for my family. Now it’s our turn to make sure it’s there for other families.”
