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“Hopelessness and shame.”
Matt Milliman, executive director
and CEO of Mercy House
Adult and Teen Challenge,
understands those
feelings very well.
His father and grandfather were alcoholics and Matt struggled
for many years with addiction to alcohol and other drugs.
“I actually got sober and stayed that way for six years. One day
I had a beer with a family member and didn’t think it was a big
deal, but that decision led me back down the path to addiction.
I ended up going to prison. I felt hopeless. But God had mercy on
me and used that experience to humble me and give me hope.”
Today, Matt’s work gives him the opportunity to help men who
find themselves in similar situations. Mercy House Adult & Teen
Challenge is a faith-based program that works with men to
help them overcome drug and alcohol addiction. Located in
Georgetown, Mississippi, Mercy House restores broken families
one man at a time. “When men are able to overcome addiction,
the effect is far-reaching,” says Matt. “We can’t underestimate
the impact of a man’s role in the home and in his community.”
Based on biblical principles, the program is designed to deal
with the root causes of addiction. Men participate in Bible study,
group activities, and work training, and, thanks to the generosity
of donors, there is no cost for the program.
Mercy House Program Director Joshua Cook is a 2018 graduate
of the program, and his is just one of many success stories.
Although he grew up attending church, Joshua says, to him,
Jesus was just a fairy tale. “My mom and step-dad always took us
to church, but things were one way at church and another way at
home. There was a lot of dysfunction and I started drinking and
smoking at age 13. When I was a senior in high school, I dropped
out of school and went my own way. I wanted nothing to do
with Jesus or the church.”
Joshua spent many years using and selling drugs and ended
up in and out of jail. “My dad always bailed me out, and when I
was 24 or 25, I got some DUIs and should have gone to prison
but went to rehab instead. I attended 13 different rehab programs.
For me it was never about actually getting well. It was about
getting out of trouble.”
Hometown MADISON • 31