COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Freddy Dubose cooks meals at The Oliver Gospel Mission its something he's done for the last five years.
"They gave me my life back. I was dead in the streets," says Freddy Dubose.
He says he wants to give back to the homeless because he's been in their shoes.
"I found myself down the same alley on drugs, nowhere to go, nobody to turn to. But I came to the mission. They’re the only ones who welcomed me with open arms," says Dubose.
Dubose says he heard about the mission through community outreach.
Officials at the center says he went through an extensive recovery program.
Dubose says the center helped turned his life around and helped him get off drugs.
"Came in got into the program, worked the program got hired on as a cook here and after I finished the program, I decided to give back what they gave to me," says Dubose.
He says cooking is his method of ministry.
"I’m able to talk to them and put myself in there position and tell them it can be done. You don’t have to live using drugs or staying out in the streets," says Dubose.
Dubose says thanks to The Oliver Gospel Mission he has a new lease on life.
"Drug free for six years. Serving God, through Christ anything can be done."
The second annual "Heart for the Homeless Hope-A-Thon" takes place Thursday April 14th at The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
WACH Fox will be broadcasting live from the telethon throughout the day.
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