I get e-mail like this all the time -- from mothers, fathers and sisters of drug addicts who have contacted The Sun within the last three years to get help, either treatment for their addiction or advice in landing a job. Sometimes the news is good, sometimes not so good. This one is mainly positive. It's from a friend of an addict named Tim:

Tim was at the Salvation Army at the time of
my first email.  Unfortunately -- or maybe I should be saying fortunately -- he
was asked to leave the Salvation Army (long story).  He was not sure
where to go, so decided to try the Helping Up Mission even though he
had heard they had no openings.  Call it a Christmas miracle or not,
but they took him in.  What an amazing place!  He is doing wonderful
there.  Right now he is working in the development office and
attending many mandatory meetings.  He was asked to tell his story at
a board of directors gathering and apparently impressed quite a few
people. He was also asked to do a radio commercial for the  Helping Up
Mission on a local Christian station.  A prominent B-more doctor has
been talking with Tim about possibly becoming his mentor.  The Helping
Up Mission offers a program to their graduates that will pay for
college at U of B-more.  I am so excited for Tim.  I
know he has a long way to go, but this is the most encouraged anyone
has been about his hopes of recovery.