On December 16, a drug rehabilitation center in Guangdong Province held a ceremony to mark its tenth birthday with the participation of about 60 people.
Warmed up with the song “Warm Family,” Li Ming, the founder of the Faith, Hope, & Love Family in Guangzhou City, delivered the opening remarks, “In this lovely home, it’s ok to make mistakes, but repentance should be followed.”
Founder Li, who was addicted to drugs under the influence of his elder brother but is now completely sober, then shared his themed reflection, "Fulfillment," on this ten-year rough path with the participants: people who have recovered from addiction, their families, volunteers, and supporters. Li expressed the idea of "fulfilling" what has been said to people, and the only One up in the Sky has been supporting him all these years since his final but successful recovery of 18 days from drug addiction with the Mighty One‘s love.
Found in 2013, the Faith, Hope & Love Family has helped 116 families in need. Individuals in recovery and volunteers at the rehab center, present or not, recorded videos or came up to share testimonies following a performance by a band of the recovered addicts. Li's selfless devotion has helped or inspired men and women of all ages, teenagers and adults alike, inspiring them or their families to join the volunteer team.
As a 10-year-old charity rehab center, it cannot survive without a devout team of volunteers supporting its back in addition to its mission. More than a dozen volunteers introduced how they got to know the family and sent their best wishes.
Seventeen former addicts from different walks of life, including designing, barbering, managing, and car servicing, across the country reunited in the family for the decade’s anniversary. There was one from Wuhan Province, Brother Li, who had been successfully sober from drugs after a year’s rehabilitation in the center. On this occasion, Founder Li awarded him a commemorative silver medal and a return deposit of 5,000 yuan.
Brother Li from Wuhan was to quit using methamphetamine. Recalling times during his addiction to drugs, Li even took away the money for his father’s medical care, who had been supporting the family but had fallen ill in bed. The elder sister, who had given up marriage to hold the family together, gained none but continuous disappointments from Li. After coming to the Faith, Hope, & Love Family, Li not only successfully got rid of drugs and learned how to play the instruments but also reestablished a correct perspective on life.
It is learned that, at the Faith, Hope, & Love Family, there is a need for a deposit of 5,000 yuan for a first-time application to enroll in detoxification, which will be fully refunded after completing one year of rehabilitation program. In addition, an amount of 2,300 yuan per month is requested for living expenses including daily necessities, bedding, ordinary household medicines, study supplies, music training, and spiritual counseling. For the second application, the deposit is increased to 20,000 yuan, which will also be fully returned after one year, with an additional monthly per capita fee required.
Li Ming introduced that in the first five years since the establishment of the organization, no fees were requested from the applicants because all expenses were raised through donations from co-workers and volunteers. However, he noticed that free grace couldn’t generate true gratitude in return but would be asked for more. Currently, the monthly charge of 2,300 yuan does not cover the expenses of the organization, but it helps the addicts and their families have a real sense of gratitude and take the rehab seriously. For people living on minimum living allowances and needy groups, there will be reductions on this basis after verification, from which the vacancies have to be filled through difficult fundraising by the center.
Then the center presented commemorative silver plates to the volunteers and well-behaved recovered addicts. Additionally, Li received a commemorative trophy for his devotion to the addicts in Wuhan City during COVID-19 from one of the recovered.
Concluding the event, based on the aim of "public welfare but not profit-making; everyone is equal; everything is for the public," Li expressed that the center will keep learning and improving to better serve drug addicts, teenagers in need, and those with mental disorders, carrying the mission of "lives influencing lives and empowering them to return to society."
