Man reconnects with family, finds faith after ATC program

A man has found purpose after feeling broken, hurt, and hopeless in his addictions.

"I was stuck in a life-controlling addiction to meth and alcohol and my addiction had taken me to dark places, to the point of me trying to end my life. I was broken, hurt, and hopeless," Spencer Dunne says.

The addiction resulted in Dunne spending several instances in a psychiatric ward. Dunne says he could have become a permanent resident of the ward. 

His family struggled, watching the lifestyle take control of Dunne.

"My loved ones had been encouraging me to seek help and they had seen the lifestyle I was living was killing me and finally what it took was them having to set boundaries with me and not wanting anything to do with me," he says.

Dunne says being let go and being on his own opened his eyes to what mistakes he was making.

"I was open enough to say 'yes. I need help."

When he arrived, Dunne says Adult and Teen Challenge gave him the opportunity to be introduced to Jesus in a safe space. He calls it a greenhouse for his spirituality. Dunne became a Christian in this program.

Dunne will be entering the SURGE program with ATC.

"God has given me purpose in my life. I am no longer driven to do drugs and to drink and to numb the pain of life. I now have an opportunity to help others and I find there is no greater reward than to help my brothers come alongside their journey."