Jim and Diane Todd knew things had to change, but weren’t sure where to turn. After “some bad decisions” were made he, his wife and his two sons suddenly ended up homeless in 1996.

“We didn’t want to lose our boys so we knew we had to get somewhere and fast,” Jim said. Jim and his family stayed at Good Works for six months--an experience, he says, that changed his life.

“They took away all the pressures of raising a family, so I could get my life back together,” he said. “If it wasn’t for Good Works I’d be dead.”

While there, Good Works helped Jim and Diane start a savings regimen so they could raise enough money for a home. Through the organization’s relationship with some United Methodist churches, the couple soon started attending services, which began healing many of the family's emotional wounds, Jim said.

“I definitely wouldn’t be going to church if it wasn’t for them,” Jim said laughing. “But seriously, they helped me deal with a lot of issues I was having, from dealing with homeless to dealing with growing up without a father.”

Jim said Good Works is Ohio’s best kept secret and should be put in place in every county across the country.

“So many people slip through the cracks of society but Good Works is always there to catch them,” he said. “We need much more of that kind of care and compassion in this country.”