Born and raised near Cincinnati, Kirk played football in a local high school and nearby college. His life-long ambition was to become a professional player, meet the perfect girl, then marry and raise children in a home with a two-car garage.

When he didn’t make the pros, Kirk’s dream slowly turned into a nightmare. With no other goals, he just “found a job and started working.” And what had been causal drinking and drug use in college escalated to a full-blown crack addiction. Even the death of his mother wasn’t enough to straighten Kirk out. “Finally, when I had lost everyone I loved and everything I owned, I came downtown.”

One of the first people Kirk met at City Gospel Mission was former Cleveland Browns wide receiver, Michael Jackson. The former football players bonded almost immediately and Michael encouraged Kirk to enter the Mission’s Exodus recovery program.

Kirk went through the Exodus program twice before his life started falling into place. “I saw the grace of God. I saw His blessings in my life. I’m living proof the program works!”

Like many before him and many more who will follow at City Gospel Mission, Kirk learned he has another chance to do something with his life, a chance to give his story a much happier ending.