"Nothing in God's world happens by mistake," says Lucretia, a 4l-year-old former resident of Bonaventure House. "Everything happens for a reason."
Lucretia is a woman who lives her life without regret. Prior to her arrival at Bonaventure House, she had spent 20 years supporting a drug habit through prostitution. She wouldn't change a thing though, for her experience has made her who she is today.
Leedell is focused on his future. He has dreams and aspirations to be a singer again.
Twenty years ago, Leedell sang in local choruses and clubs. In the 1990’s, Leedell had a record deal but when the company went out of business, he found himself on the streets.
In 2000, he decided to move back to Champaign, Ill., where his family lives. But as things worsened, he decided that the move had been a mistake.
Late in Summer of 2004, Richard woke up to find that he had been sleeping on the grass in Lincoln Park. Having nowhere to go, he realized that it was time to make a change.
Growing up in Southern Indiana, Richard became involved in drugs in his teenage years while working in the food service industry.
Linda never had the opportunity to know her mother.
She died when she was only eight months old. Linda's father struggled with alcoholism so, ultimately, she ended up spending her childhood living with her grandmother.
At 52, Ernest is a determined survivor.
He's lived through homelessness, addiction, a divorce, AIDS, and cancer.
He dropped out of school in the 8th grade and earned a living on the streets, embracing drugs and crime to support himself.
At one point he wanted to die and questioned why God spared him. He always knew this wasn't the way he wanted to live.
At age 11, following her mother's death, Kim began to drink.
By the time she was in her mid-twenties, her alcohol abuse had become a daily occurrence and, ultimately, cost her job, her friends, her livelihood.
Diagnosed with HIV in 2003, Kim immediately went into denial with respect to her status.
"The tears wouldn't come," she explained. "I was mad at the world."
I volunteer because I am here and I can.“At Bonaventure House, I don’t have the desperation that I was living in,” says David.
During his first 15 months in our program, he has had the time, opportunity, and resources to figure out what he wants to do and work towards those goals.
