About Emmanuel House

My rebel without a cause is Timothy Thompson. Affectionately known as "Uncle Tim" to me, he shows how God can work wonders in your life, if you open up and let Him in. He is living a life people can only dream of, but to truly understand him, you need to know how he got there. His journey was not easy.

Upbringing: Timothy was born the 5th of 13 children. There were 7 girls and 6 boys. The family, needless to say, struggled to make ends meet. So, Tim, at the tender age of 9, went to work. He started raking leaves, shoveling snow, and cutting grass to get new shoes and clothes. When he turned 12, he became an entrepreneur. Tim would go up and down Livernois Avenue in Detroit, with his "box". It contained all of the items he needed to shine shoes. He'd set up his stand at different businesses and go to work. He was a very hard worker. He earned money, saved money, and spent money, and not just on himself. One weekend he'd take his younger sisters to the movies or skating, and then the next weekend it would be his younger brothers. Tim loved his family.

At 13, Tim was going to school and working at a car wash. He was an honor student in junior high school and high school, but he was so mischievous! You see, Tim used to sneak out of class to go to the doughnut shop, then sneak back in when the teacher was out of the room - by climbing through the window! And, as a teacher's aide and trusted honor student, he had been given keys to the school's print shop, which he conveniently used for parties! By the time Tim was 17, he was going to school, planning for his upcoming graduation, and managing a nearby Shell Gas Station. Managing...at 17! In June 1969 he became the first, and sadly the only, boy in the family to graduate from high school. After high school, his dad came up to him and asked how much he had saved. Tim told him $500, and his dad paused for a minute. Then he said, "I'm going to match it. As a matter of fact, give me what you've saved. I'm going to get you a car". His dad left and came back with a brand new Mustang. A Mustang...at 17!

In September of that year, he got a job at Ford Motor Company, by using his friend's name. Remember, he was still 17. When he turned 18, he went in to Human Resources to confess his sins, and they decided to keep him. Life was good, indeed - at least for a little while. His brother was killed in an industrial accident, and Tim started using heroin. His brother and good friend, Larry Parrish, introduced him to the drug in 1972. Tim was a "functioning addict", you see, because in spite of his addiction, he worked every day, started a family, bought a house, and managed to stay out of trouble.

Low Point: After working at Ford for 20 years, Tim was losing his battle with addiction. In 1989, within a 4-month period, he lost his job, his (2) houses, and his family. He was also facing 4 felony convictions in Oakland County. Here is when you know you've gone as low as you can go; his bond was only $100, and nobody came to bail him out! He had to stay in jail for 30 days, because he couldn't get anyone to pay $100 bail. Tim finally got out, and ended up living in an abandoned house. His junkie friends tried to kill him twice over drugs and money, and at one point he had a gun put to his head.

Turning Point: He was getting high, but he knew it wasn't what he wanted. One day he started shouting, "God, if you don't deliver me, I'll kill myself"! He woke up in a mental hospital, still struggling and living on the streets, his sister threw him a birthday party. His younger sister, Sheryl, loved him unconditionally. Sadly, she died a few days later. No more, he thought. A friend told him about a program in Pontiac, called Joyce Benedict, where he could get help. This time, he was going to get sober. No looking back. He called his older sister to come take him, and she did. During his stay, his parents supported him. But, tragedy would strike again. His mother passed away a year later. Tim wondered how he would make it, but he thought to himself, "If I go back to drugs, it would be a dishonor to my mother", and stayed the course.

High Point: When he went in for treatment, he found out a childhood friend had gotten sober, too. Remember Larry Parrish, the one who introduced him to heroin? Well, Larry had been clean for 2 years, and was now going to be Tim's sponsor. He wanted to see his friend get better, and Tim was determined to do so.

Redemption: With no money, Tim decided to approach the manager of the apartment complex where he was living. He told the manager that he wanted to start a Recovery House in the complex, and gave details about the program. She believed in his idea and offered to give him a townhouse for 6 months, rent-free. All he had to do was keep up the lawn. Within 2 days of praying, Emmanuel House was born. One of his first two clients was his own cousin, but they didn't know they were related until they both mentioned that they had to attend a funeral. Ironic, isn't it? Emmanuel means "God with us", and this is so true. Emmanuel House started out with (2) clients with a budget of $15, 000. It now houses 66 people, and has an annual budget of $500,000. Emmanuel House has received awards from the Detroit City Council, State Representatives, the Mayor, Wayne County Sheriff's Office, and numerous others. It's true, only the strong survive. My uncle's favorite saying is, "I don't know if anyone has told you today that they love you, but I love you, and there's nothing you can do about it". I love that.

- By Simone Smith