Why I Have Supported Freedom's Door for so Many Years

Friday, August 27th is our 5th Annual Freedom’s Door Charity Car Wash event at Mission Superwash. In preparation for that, I wanted to write about why I have supported Freedom’s Door for so many years and how impactful it’s been in our community.

In reflecting about this, it first crossed my mind, “Why doesn’t everyone support Freedom’s Door? Don’t they know by now how amazing a place it is for men suffering from addictions?” It’s funny how those of us who know Freedom’s Door for years have come to simply expect the persistence of miracles happening in the day-to-day life of the men who have attended “The Door” and its programs. We seem to expect everyone else to know about Freedom’s Door and automatically support it because it’s been that remarkable, but there’s always more work to be done. So, let’s take a closer look at why Freedom’s Door is worth supporting.

Freedom’s Door for me has been a way to give men and their families Hope, a Hope which was hard to see before they got the call to enter a new “Door” which leads to healing and life.  Men suffering through addictions can often feel like they are caught in a revolving door of hurt which only leads them to the very same places they’ve been before.  Such painful and damaging experiences over time leads to despair, destruction, and death, not only for the men who suffer such addictions but for most people in their immediate circles. Government programs have generally failed these men, and Freedom’s Door has filled that void and offered real hope.

Having witnessed Freedom’s Door begin with the vision of a few good men (an addict, Fred, and a Christian Leader, Tom) and blossom into the incredible organization it is today, one cannot help but see the hand of God at work.  Whether it be the houses which became available miraculously when needed or the volunteers, provisions, and funding which arrived out of the blue, Freedom’s Door has been blessed from the very inception of the idea. Such success is inspirational and undeniable.

The stories of thousands of men who have overcome the addiction demons in their lives are too great to recount here.  It would be an understatement to say that many lives have been changed for the better and thousands have been brought back from the abyss. To better express the success of the “Door”, Tom Smithwick has recently written a book which shares many stories of the depth of pain and the sweetness of victory which has touched so many lives. It is entitled: Knocking on Freedom’s Door. We have purchased a few hundred copies of the book to give to friends and clients, so we hope you can stop by the office to receive your copy (or contact Freedom’s Door to obtain one from them).

In my own personal experience, I have hired men from The Door for various work projects and have come to see how each one of them has the desire to feel loved, appreciated, and healed of their past experiences.  While each man’s back-story is different, every tale contains a common theme: A broken man who yearns to escape his captor(s).  As men progress through Freedom’s Door, they rediscover the value and purpose in their manhood when the weights they’ve been carrying are shed because of the wonderful counselling, prayer, and brotherhood they experience from Freedom’s Door team members, other men in the program, and countless volunteers and clergy.

I know of a graduate of Freedom’s Door who runs a multimillion-dollar company as it’s General Manager and Lead Technician.  This is a testament to how far we can come as men when given the tools we need and the unconditional love to back it up. Hope resides through the other side of The Door, and you can be part of this great success story in many different ways.

I hope to encourage you to also support Freedom’s Door (by the gift of your time, expertise, or monetarily).  In our broken world, The Door is one of the best examples of love and service in action which produces tangible results. Its an awesome organization to support because its so wonderfully effective.  If you want a real opportunity to change many lives for the better, support Freedom’s Door.  I guarantee you’ll make a difference. Click here to learn more about Freedom's Door.

With much admiration,

Maurice Matte