From Needing Help to Helping Others

People often come to Pacific Garden Mission because they need help. They need a safe place to sleep, freedom from addiction, hope for tomorrow, or simply someone to believe in them. But God’s work doesn’t stop there. As He restores lives, He also gives people new purpose. Those who once came seeking hope often become the very people offering hope to others. Donald Grant Anderson’s story is a beautiful example of that transformation. Because of your faithful support, a man who once arrived at Pacific Garden Mission in desperate need is now serving others, sharing the Gospel, and pointing people to the same Savior who changed his life.

Donald Anderson

I’ve Seen Both Sides of Life

“My name is Donald Grant Anderson, but most people call me Grant. I’ve been through the ups and downs of life. I’ve had the best, and I’ve had the worst. I like to say I’ve slept with the maggots and soared with the eagles. I’ve had a wife, a house, good jobs, and I’ve lost them all. My addiction brought death to relationships, dreams, and the person God created me to be.

“The strange thing is I always knew who God was. I was raised in a loving Christian home, but it was also dysfunctional. My family taught me about the Lord. Even though I knew Him, I wasn’t living for Him. My addictions slowly took control of my life until I found myself homeless.

Finding a New Foundation

“When I came to Pacific Garden Mission, everything began to change. God restored me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. More importantly, my relationship with Him became stronger than it had ever been.

“One of the things that made me healthy was a hefty dose of God. I go to bed with God. I wake up with God. I spend my days with God. He showed me there was still a calling on my life, and I began learning to follow His direction instead of my own.

“God also restored relationships in my family. People who once didn’t want to speak to me because of my addiction welcomed me back into their lives. That’s not because of anything I’ve done. It’s because of God’s grace.

“Pacific Garden Mission wasn’t just helping me get sober. They were helping me build a foundation in God’s Word that would help me stand long after I left the Mission.

From Receiving Help to Giving It

“Since coming to Pacific Garden Mission, God has continued opening doors I never imagined. I haven’t had a drink or smoked a cigarette since August of last year, and I rededicated my life to Christ. Today I have the opportunity to work in the clinic, caring for people every day.

“The amazing thing is that now I get to help others at the same place I once came looking for help. I’ve encouraged new guests, helped members of my own family who came to PGM, and pointed people to the hope I’ve found in Jesus Christ.

“When I talk with someone who’s struggling, I can honestly tell them I’ve been where they are. I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and think your life is over. That’s why I tell them what God has done for me.

“I’m still growing every day. Following Christ isn’t about arriving. It’s about growing. People ask me to encourage others, lead tours, and share my testimony. That’s not because of me. God changed the spirit within me. He took a man who had lost everything and gave him a new purpose.

“Today I believe God is preparing me to be a light in the darkness. I have led 14 people to the Lord. People may look at someone who’s homeless and think they have nothing, but when you have Christ, you have everything. My story isn’t about Donald Grant Anderson. It’s about what Jesus Christ can do when someone is willing to trust Him.”

Donald’s journey reminds us that God’s work of restoration is never meant to end with one life. As He heals hearts and renews minds, He also calls His people to serve others. Today, the man who once arrived at Pacific Garden Mission searching for hope is now helping others find it. He was hired by Lawndale Christian Health Center, our medical recovery program partner, and serves at PGM helping guests who are in similar situations he was once in. That is the beauty of the Gospel. We receive God’s grace so we can extend it to someone else. Thank you for making stories like Donald's possible. Your prayers and generosity do far more than provide meals, shelter, and care. They help transform lives into living testimonies that point others to Jesus Christ.