What a Difference a Year Makes
In the next 70 days, Kevin Wiley will reach a series of amazing milestones. He will graduate the Hope CDA Life Transformation Program on September 2. He will have his driver’s license in the next three weeks and will begin attending Kirkwood Community College in mid-August, working on a degree in Music Theory. This degree will help him achieve a higher calling, which will be discussed later.
It is a truly remarkable set of achievements that Kevin will reach, but ones that nearly didn’t happen. You see, one year ago almost exactly to the day, Kevin had put in motion a plan to take his life.
It Was All Gone
Kevin Wiley had the perfect life. He had a wife whom he adored and a job he thoroughly loved. His daughter was doing well and life seemed perfect. However, it turned quickly.
Kevin’s wife was diagnosed with cancer and, for three years, he sat by her side, watching her slowly dwindle away until she was gone. For three years, Kevin was completely focused on his beautiful wife, isolating himself from friends and family as he endured the agony of her death on his own.
When she passed, Kevin was lost. His whole life was gone. He didn’t have friends anymore, so he turned to alcohol. That led to two DUI’s in the span of a month, costing Kevin his CDL license. He was a CDL instructor at Kirkwood but lost that job as well.
With no hope in site, Kevin made the only decision he thought he had left – to kill himself.
“One year ago, I was going to end my life. No one was talking me out of it,” he remembers. “I was done.”
Not on God’s Watch
Kevin may have been done, but God was not. His plan was unsuccessful, leaving Kevin even more lost. What would he do? “I knew I had to do something. I didn’t understand that God had a plan for me. I thought He wanted nothing to do with me, but He had a plan. I see that now.”
The plan began to develop with Kevin going to the hospital to ask for help. He was sent to the psychiatric unit and then joined the 30-day treatment program at ASAC. “They saved my life,” he explained. “But I knew I needed more. I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I would go right back to where I was. Hope became a beacon of light for me.”
Kevin applied to get into the program and was accepted, but was there not a spot available for him. So, he patiently waited for 30 more days waiting for a bed at Hope CDA to open. “It was long, but I needed Hope.”
That finally came open on September 4, 2025, as Kevin’s journey continued. While recognizing the need for the program, Kevin was also a little stubborn. Well, maybe a lot stubborn.
“I knew I had a problem, but I wasn’t willing to admit I had a problem. I thought I could figure it out on my own.”
Kevin struggled early in the program, even relapsing on one occasion. However, that did not stop him. Kevin was given another chance to continue in the program and has excelled. He has overcome numerous obstacles, something he never envisioned before. “You know, God had a plan. He was not done with me and His plan was to keep me going. I thank God for not giving up on me. Now I can see there is a pathway to success for me.”
A Plan in Motion
Kevin always had a love for playing drums and rekindled that fire by attending Westdale Community Church, where he joined the worship team. This led Kevin to see that God did have a big plan for him. Kevin enrolled in the Music Theory program, knowing that God wanted him to become a worship pastor one day. That vision is a brief seven weeks away from getting underway.
One year ago, Kevin Wiley quit. He had given up. Now he has a clear pathway and vision for his life. “I can’t say enough about Hope. This place saved my life. There is no ands, ifs, or buts about it. My life got saved here.”
You Can Make a Difference
Kevin is one of the many stories that could be told at Hope CDA. We ask that you consider making a generous donation that can help dozens of other men write stories like Kevin’s.
Click to link to make a donation.
Hope Fulfilled
The Sixth Annual Hope CDA Gala will take place on October 15, 2026. The theme for this year’s event will be “Hope Fulfilled,” looking at how Hope has been fulfilled for participants, family and friends, staff, volunteers, and the community as a whole.
This year’s event will be a little different as we will feature the stories of Kaleb Duerre and Jason Nichols. These men did not know each other before coming to Hope but became true brothers on their journeys to see their own hope fulfilled.
If you would like to learn more about the event or sponsor a table, click the link.
Hope Good News
Jason Nichols graduates from the Hope CDA Life Transformation Program on July 7. We will commemorate his graduation on Monday, July 20 at 6:00 p.m. at Mission of Hope. Please come and celebrate this momentous occasion for Jason… Several Hope CDA participants reached major sobriety milestones this past week. Detric Howell has nine months of sobriety and Michael Sheriff reached his 100th day. Quinton Edwards reached eight months of sobriety. Congratulations to our brothers on reaching these amazing milestones!.. The Employment Team has created a series of classes for instructing the men on topics related to finding employment, thriving at one’s job, and finding the right career. These will be taught on Friday mornings starting on July 10.
Volunteer Opportunities
We are still looking for more “Friends” to help our men through their journey at Hope CDA. We are looking for women who would like to be a friend and mentor to a participant. This is an amazing opportunity to assist our men on their pathway to sobriety, and we would love for you to be a part of this journey. If you are interested, please contact Tahsha Jones (Tahsha.J@HopeCDAcr.org).
Prayers for the Week
We ask you to join in prayer for these things:
- For Charles Vanwinkle, who began the program on July 1. May Charles find success at Hope in overcoming his struggles with addiction and to find a new life.
- For those looking to join the Hope CDA program. May God reveal the right people to join our program and may these men come here ready to change their lives.
- For our new Employment Team. May they help the men to successfully gain employment and careers that serve them and God well.
- For new “Friends” to join the program to help the men on their journeys.
Get The Hope Herald Emailed to You!
Not receiving The Hope Herald each week? Sign up below and you can receive the latest news, teachings, and other information from Hope CDA.
