The Portland Rescue Mission offers help to countless men and women every year.
Randy Ankele has lived nearly half a century. He’s seen cable TV, the Internet, several presidents and the cell phone come into prominence. And almost all of that time was through a haze of booze and drugs.
“I started drinking when I was nine” says Ankele. “My folks drank so it was easy to sneak beers.” The fight cost Ankele family, friends and his home.
“I didn’t know how to quit,” he explains in an exclusive chat with GNPDX. But he finally hit bottom and reached for help.
By working with the Portland Rescue Mission, Ankele went from the streets into his own place with a job and a savings account. He’s spent 18 months working through his personal demons and is looking at a brighter future, including plans to go to school and volunteer with the Mission’s men’s program.
“I feel so blessed that I can show people there is a better life,” he adds. “When I got to the Mission I was broken.”
To volunteer or donate and help others like Randy, click here.
