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Fred Wilcox

(ORLANDO, FLA.) – Admitting to your wrongdoings is a difficult task, but it is the first step to spiritual healing. Accepting your past is a big pill to swallow, but it is necessary for self-healing. Fred Wilcox, a former resident at The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, knows these two challenges all too well. He sat down with us to share his story of hope, salvation, and rehabilitation.

Six years ago, Fred was faced with the consequence of his years of alcohol abuse. “I lost everything, my wife, my home”, he shared. Like many young adults with promising futures, the art of peer pressure led him down a path of destruction. “I started drinking when I was 13,” Fred revealed, “we did it because we like the way it made us feel.”

For years, Fred let his addiction control his way of life. He recalls the times when he was sleeping on his friend’s couch. He reminisces on the times he would sit around drinking, but something shifted in him. “I just was tired of not being able to support myself, I knew at that moment that something had to change,” Fred shared.

The Journey to Rehabilitation

Fred Wilcox

For that reason, he decided to turn his life around and regain control of his destiny. “I moved to Daytona Beach to try and get help, and they referred me to the ARC in Orlando.” The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Orlando is where Fred began his journey to self and spiritual healing. Upon arrival, Fred was embraced by a supportive team with a mission to heal, revitalize, and uplift his spirit. “They had group, individual, and work therapy, and a twelve-step program that really helps you,” he shared. After two years of hard work and self-discipline, Fred was rehabilitated, working, and providing for himself. His word of advice to those struggling with drug & alcohol addiction is this… “Don’t worry about doing it for other people, do it for you!”

The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC) provide spiritual, social, and emotional assistance for men who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves. Each center offers residential housing assistance, work, group, and individual therapy, all in a clean, wholesome environment. The physical and spiritual care that program participants receive prepares them to re-enter society and return to gainful employment. To learn more about the ARC in Orlando, visit www.SalvationArmyOrlando.org or call 407-295-9311. Click here and subscribe to our YouTube Page for more powerful testimonies.

 

Watch Fred’s full story of Hope, Salvation, and Rehabilitation:

 

Want to share your story of how The Salvation Army Orlando Metropolitan Area Command helped you? Contact our Majorie Pierre at majorie.pierre@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Food Trays

The Salvation Army Orlando Bed & Bread Club in Orange County provides food for displaced individuals in need. The Bed & Bread Club of Orange County is a monthly giving program driven by generous people who want to assist the men, women, and children combating chronic homelessness.

ORLANDO, FL –  The Bed & Bread Club of Orange County is a monthly giving program driven by generous people who want to help individuals experiencing homelessness and hardship. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resources are scarce, but the overwhelming demand for housing, rent assistance, and utility assistance persists. The Salvation Army does not close its doors to people experiencing homelessness, even in the event of a public health crisis like the one we are experiencing now.

When you give to The Salvation Army in Orange County, you are making a direct impact on your community through local programming and services that help displaced individuals in need. You are giving hope to thousands of men, women, and children who come to The Salvation Army every day looking for a helping hand and hope for a brighter future.

With your donation of $12, you can be a light for the hopeless. If 12,000 people pledge to donate $12 for 12 months, we can help 288,000 individuals experiencing homelessness with food, clothing, shelter, case management, and permanent housing assistance.
If 12,000 people pledge to donate $12 for 12 months, we can provide 51,969 food bags to struggling families, which prevents homelessness. If 12,000 people pledge $12 for 12 months, we raise $1.7 million to help meet the needs of this community.
With $12, you can become a part of an Army FIGHTING FOR GOOD!

To join our club, please visit www.BedandBreadOrlando.org. To learn about our local events and for updates on our programs, click here.

The Salvation Army in Orange County celebrated 100 years in Orlando on January 8th, 2020. Check out our recent insert in the Orlando Sentinel to learn about our history, programs, services, and vision for the future. Click here and read about us! To become a part of our army of volunteers, click here.