Testimony Tuesday: Keith Taylor Intake pic - 03/03/2021 Current pic - 05/04/2021
"Before I came to Safe Harbor my life was messed up. I was either looking for or using drugs all day every day. I was walking down Jackson Ave and saw the three crosses that are displayed in front of the building. I had heard of this place before.
I walked in and asked about the requirements to stay. The staff was so helpful. this program is helping give me a new beginning and I appreciate the opportunities it has given me so far."
Testimony Tuesday: Marcus Lindsey Intake pic - 08/03/2020 Current pic - 02/22/2021 "Just a few months before coming to Safe Harbor, I was homeless without a dollar to my name. I tried looking for places to stay. I tried looking for work. It seemed like every step forward resulted in two steps back. The drug abuse and depression took its toll on me. I had to do something different. In a desperate search for help, my family brought me to Safe Harbor. My first 3 months in the program, I found myself angry, upset, and constantly wanting to bend the rules. What a difference a few months can make! I have money in my savings now. I am employed, sober, and fall to sleep each night with a full belly. Safe Harbor has taught me the value of patience, sacrifice, and perseverance. In a nutshell, thank you Safe Harbor for being a vital anchor in my life!"
Testimony Tuesday: Leland Spencer Intake pic - 09/25/2020 Current pic - 10/26/2020 "Coming to Safe Harbor was a wise decision for me. I had graduated the program in January 2020. I did remain clean and sober but I started to feeling like I was going back to some of my old habits. So I came back to Safe Harbor to obtain more of what helped me gain sobriety. One thing I learned that I still use today is the thought circle. What I think I speak, What I speak I act on. My actions determine my lifestyle. My lifestyle determines my future. I also keep a set of 84 coping skills in my back pocket at all times. Thank you Safe Harbor for being there for me!"
Testimony Tuesday: Marqui Easton Intake pic - 05/29/2020 Current pic - 07/20/2020 “My name is Marqui Easton and this is my testimony: It all started when I was 25 years of age. When I first started on this road of addiction it was all fun and games for me. I would just smoke a Lil weed every now and then not knowing that it would lead me down a path of self-destruction, heart-aches, and pain. It got to the point that weed was not satisfying my urges so I decided one day to try powder and my life would never be the same after that first hit. I would spend the next several years going downhill and almost got to the point where I was on the verge of losing everything and everyone I loved in this life. As time went on I developed a habit of hanging around the wrong crowd of people. I knew that I wanted better for my life for myself I just did not know how to get it that is until the day I came to Safe Harbor and once again my life took a drastic change but for the better this time. I now feel I have a purpose in life and that I can remain clean and sober once I graduate from the program. and I also know that I couldn't have it unless I had God in my life Whom I praise and worship daily. I thank God every day for allowing me this opportunity to get my life back together and for Safe Harbor Of Memphis and all it has taught me and provided me on my new journey in life.”
Testimony Tuesday: Meet Greg Kesler
"My name is Gregory Kesler, I am 49 years old and have been at Safe Harbor of Memphis for two months. I first attended this place in 2006 when it was called the Lighthouse and was taught the word of God by Pastor Kyle at the time.
Since I have been here this time I have been trusted with responsibilities in the kitchen and helping around the property which has given me the opportunity to serve God and my fellow man. I have been treated with respect and shown general concern. I really appreciate what God Is doing through the staff here in Safe Harbor of Memphis. I couldn't do it with out them!
~ Greg Kesler"
"I came to Safe Harbor on February 13th 2019. Since I’ve been at Safe Harbor I have been have been treated well. I have finally gotten the chance to do a little work here and I’m feeling a lot better about myself.
Sometimes its hard for me to speak up for myself, but since I’ve been at Safe Harbor the staff has helped me come out of my shell. I have come back to life and noticed I have a voice. I would like to thank the staff for choosing me as client of the quarter and helping me moved forward in my recovery!" Thank you, Albert Push
“My name is Justin Fortune & I entered Safe Harbor on December 28, 2018. When I arrived I was unsure of what to expect, but the staff was welcoming and made me feel right at home. They explained what was expected and I committed myself to following those guidelines. As I began to interact with the other clients and saw the opportunities to improve myself, they offered their feedback. I attended classes like Celebrate Recovery, Money Management, Fatherhood, Anger Management & Life Skills. They also offered Chapel Service and Pastoral Support. Three times a week I attend Intensive Outpatient, where I have learned relapse prevention techniques, coping skills and how to set boundaries necessary to maintain my recovery & succeed in everyday life. After settling in, I was given a job through the Reliable Program. I work 5 days a week, and have half my earnings put into a savings account. By the time I graduate I will have a substantial amount of money saved up, giving me a head start for re-entry into society. Thanks to everything I have mentioned, I am excited about my future. I am also confident that when I go back into the world, living on my own, I will have the skills, tools and mindset that I need for success. Safe Harbor has been a blessing in my life, and like a lighthouse it has brought me safely back to shore.”
"My name is Tom Ward. April 2, 2018 was the day God sent me into a whole new direction. I was always a nice young man, but I also danced with the devil. I was very insecure within myself, looking for love in all the wrong places. Using drugs to escape my problems, living in fear, thinking if I can survive in this world through self will. I was wrong. Safe Harbor has taught me a lot about myself. I learned how to love myself. I also have gotten closer to God and decided to put all of my trust in Him. One thing Safe Harbor has taught me is discipline. I'm not to fond of it, but discipline is necessary. God has pointed me into the right direction and I'm taking full advantage of this program. I was a wreck before, but thanks to Safe Harbor I am a changed man."
"I thank God for a new way of living and for Safe Harbor. Safe Harbor has been my miracle zone through the Power of God. The doors that the devil once closed, God has again opened. I have been in this program for 4 months with two more before completion. Through this program I have learned to "Let go and let God". This is an opportunity for me to let everyone know how good God has been to me. God Saves! God Forgives! God Delivers! And God still loves you regardless of all of your shortcomings. I now have sanctification, rehabilitation and am currently full time employed... and I thank God for it! I would like to thank Pastor Charles for his encouragement and teaching me the word of God, and also Chaplain Joe for his counseling. God is still blessing me. Never would have made it without His grace and mercy!" - Samuel Blair
My name is Richard O Body Jr. Safe Harbor has been a blessing to me. I came here November 2, 2016 & I find it to be a big help for me. I am not here from jail, prison or court order, I am a walk in. When I came I knew it was not going to be easy, so I kept to myself & stayed away from the “unthankful spirit”. I have come a long way & God has really been good to me, and I am thankful. I have fiished my 6 months and am waiting for a job & my own place. Safe Harbor & God will help you, if you let them. I am thankful for the staff here.
June 2014 Graduate Testimony: Will Marvel William first became a drug addict and recidivist at the age of thirteen. He grew up in an abusive home and things seemed to only get worse from there. He experienced a traumatic break up from a long-term relationship. In 2011 he struggled with violence, one occurrence where he was almost beaten to death. He woke up chained to a table in a robbery/homicide and decided that he needed to reevaluate his life choices. He spent just under two years in correctional facilities and 6 months at a reentry program where he started to work on rebuilding his life. After leaving the first reentry program, he decided that he would continue seeking help at Safe Harbor. His relationship with Christ has been restored while at our facility. He recalls the staff being great about mentoring him and pouring into his life. For the first time, he has successfully completed his parole. He has reconciled relationships with his family who had begun to assume that his life would not get any better. They are all back on good terms and he hopes to see some of them at his upcoming graduation. William will be starting Safe Harbor’s Internship program this August. He eventually would like to go back to college and study for a licensed clinical social work degree so that he will be able to help the ministry move forward.
Dale, a recent graduate of Safe Harbor of Memphis, has noticed a complete change in his life. During the time spent at the mission, he quickly realized that he had encouragement and a support system of people that actually cared about him. Seeking God for patience through situational changes is how Greene was able to complete the program. His plans are to be persistent in his sobriety and have complete faith that all things will work out for God’s glory.