Testimonies
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Testimonies from our Graduates:
My name is Albert. I'm 35 years old and was born and raised in
Newark, NJ. Before coming to Anchor House i had been getting high
for over 15 years of my life, addicted to both cocaine and herion.
Because of the way my days were structured at Anchor House I began
to praise and worship God with singing every morning. Slowly my heart began to thaw as God
began the process of restoration that I so badly wanted and needed.
I attended classes daily, where I was taught about the addiction process, and how I was allowing
it to destroy my life. i also was instructed in the Word of God which taught me about my true
identity as God's son, my purpose in life, and that there is freedom from addiction and restoration
to sanity through faith in Jesus Christ and by living what the bible teaches in my daily life.
Most of my family is Muslim. So was I when I arrived at Anchor House. After some time had
passed I began to be open to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In time I made the decision to make
Jesus my Lord and Savior. As all of this was taking place some amazing things began to happen.
New doors of opportunity began opening. Only after six months in the program I regained
custody of my six year old daughter. A month or so later I enrolled in the Queensboro Institute
of Technology where I received training and a certificate in Electronics. Shortly after completing
this training I was hired by Sharp Electronics as a Computer/Copier Repair Technician. I started
out training with another technician who has been on the job for multiple years. About three
weeks into the job I was handling installations and repair calls on my own.
Today, I can honestly say that I have a great sense of gratitued for the directors and counselors
at Anchor House. None of this progress would have been possible without their assistance. Coming
know Jesus Christ has made all of the difference in my life.
Thank you and God bless you.
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Just a few lines to, once again, express my deepest appreciation
for what you, and Anchor House have meant to me over the last
twenty years.
As you read this letter, I will be conducting an audit of
Religious Services Department in a Federal Prison in Louisiana.
This is a first for me, and I am excited about it. The only
drawback is that I will not be able to be with all of you as
you celebrate one quarter of a century of meaningful ministry
to some of New York's most disenfranchised -- the addicted!
I would encourage those of you who represent the Church Universal
to continue to selflessly, and tirelessly give of yourselves,
as well as your time, talent, energy, and financial support for
the continuation of this most worthwhile, and badly-needed endeavor
called "Anchor House".
To those of you who presently find yourselves in the program,
as I did twenty years ago, I would simply say that God is gracious,
and kind beyond our wildest expectations, and that God desires
only to give us the best of all things!!!
Many look at what I have been able to do with my life, and say that
I am "successful". But "success" is such a relative and elusive thing.
For us to be able to remain drug-free, is to be successful! To lead
a normal life, is to be highly "successful." To become a good son
or father or husband, even if we do nothing else, is to achieve the
highest form the success possible for us.
At the same time, I would warn that success does not come without a
struggle. It will involve a lifelong struggle with yourself, your
present and past. I have struggled and continue to daily struggle,
and continue to daily struggle, with these for the last twenty years.
Success will involve carrying around physical and emotional scars
that may never heal completely and which will always be visible,
to some extent. It will involve ups and downs, gains and losses,
achievements and failures -- but in the end, with the help of God
and God's people, it is a struggle that's "winnable", and one which
will, once again, make life whole, meaningful and worthwhile.
Again, blessings upon all of you as you celebrate the birthday of
one of God's modern day miracles--Anchor House!
-- The Rev. Dr. Hiram Irizarry, Chaplain
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I came to Anchor House after a violation of my parole and upon my
release from the Step Program at Rikers Island. The Step Program
wanted me to enter into an outpatient Program in the Bronx, but I
pleaded for a long term Christ centered program. A young lady
schdueled to leave the Step Program the day before had been approved
for the last bed available at Anchor House and I was told there were
no more beds. She failed to report to Anchor House, and the bed became
available to me. God had a plan for me. When I arrived at Anchor House,
I was hopeful that maybe something could help me learn to live a normal
life without alcohol and drugs; could help me regain a relationship
with my children, and become the responsible person I needed to be
to in order to help take care of my sick mother. I was hopeless, but
a glimmer of hope bounded up for me. Maybe with the help of these God
fearing people, I could live a free live.
I immersed myself in the Word of God, and was able to surrender to the
authority of Anchor House, an authority the God placed in my life.
It was not easy, change never is, but with the help of the staff of
Anchor House, I was able to attend my mother's funeral, and stand to
complete the life changing process that I was going through.
I graduated in 1999 and today I have healthy relationships with
my son, daughter and grandchildren. Each staff member had a part of
my life in their hands and I made sure I got what I needed from them.
Whether it was spiritual advice or clinical advice or advice on the
simple things that I as a woman should have known, but because of the
bondage of addiction neglected, there was a staff member there for me
that met my need. God was always in the house.
If you're sick and tired of the way you are living a want
to change your life around, contact Anchor House. It has the
everlasting change that only
comes from God. -- C.B. (Women's Facility)
