William Sanders has done a lot of things in his life he is not proud of. The recovering alcoholic now wants to better his life by helping others.

“It feels good,” Sanders said. “Feels like I’m accomplishing something in life other than drinking and being high.”

Sanders, along with Hilda Walker and other volunteers, recently opened a thrift store in Hanceville.

“The Bangor United Methodist Church Mission Thrift Store is supported through donations and the community,” Walker said. “If William was not here working in the store he would be out drinking again.”

Walker pastors Bangor United Methodist Church in Garden City and also runs a homeless shelter called The Wayhouse which also serves as a faith based drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

The thrift store started when churches began donating to Walker’s shelter ministry.

“The donations filled up all of our storage buildings which led us to a clothing ministry,” she said.

Then a few months ago, while looking for a building to use as the store, Walker found a small house on Church Street in Hanceville.

“It is the same address as our church in Garden City,” she said.

The house is owned by Hanceville United Methodist Church. Walker called and asked the church about using it and they agreed. She pays the rent and utility bill.

“This place right here is going to change a lot of people’s lives,” Walker said. “We are paying our own way. God’s going to take care of everything.”

Residents at the shelter are working at the store to earn a small pay check.

“We do the all around ministry,” Walker said. “We bring them into the spiritual round as well as give them other needs like food and clothing.”

Walker said the Lord led her in this direction. She said she enjoys helping others.

“We take people in and try to get their lives back on track,” Walker said. “Our main thing is trying to get them ID’s and jobs and reunited with their families.”

A camper, owned by Walker and her husband, serves as the women’s shelter while the men stay in the fellowship hall of the church.

“We can take male or female and do not do background checks... So it’s not a safe place for kids,” Walker said. “We are self-supporting.”

She allows people to come in rent-free, until they find a job. Eventually, they pay $50 a week to help pay utility bills.

“We have had up to 15 there at once,” Walker said.

Walker said her prayers for help are always answered.

“Every time we are in a situation, somehow these churches know,” Walker said. “God always answers our prayers.”

“We have had so many people come through who just need someone to talk to and pray with,” Walker said. “We drop what we are doing and tend to them.

“Some days we don’t know where we will get food or clothing for everybody,” she said. “But God always provides.”

Walker became involved in the ministry after her own battle with addiction.

“I am a recovering alcoholic of 12 and a half years,” Walker said.

After a 20-year-addiction, she got clean and started visiting female inmates in the Cullman County jail. She said she went as an alcoholic, not as a minister.

“After a girl I had been witnessing to told me she was able to get out if she had somewhere to go, I came up with the idea of the homeless shelter,” Walker said.

She went home and discussed it with her husband. She soon began her ministry as a pastor and as the director of the shelter and now the thrift store.

Walker said because of the addiction in her own life, she is better equipped to reach people with addictions.

“No question that a person that has never gone through the disease of addition doesn’t know how to handle the sickness,” Walker said.

“We do not believe there can be recovery without the intervention of God.”

Recovering addict Jessica Jacobs has recently been touched by Walker’s ministry.

“I found Hilda and didn’t know I would find God too,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs has been clean for a month from a six year prescription drug addition.

She said she hid the addition from her family for many years, until one night when she had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital.

“ I was on the verge of killing myself,” Jacobs said. “I’ve been in a daze for the last five years and missed out on so much. Now I’ve finally got my life back.”

“Jessica is a blessing to many people,” Walker said. “Getting her life in order is her number one priority. Her relationship with God is at the top now.”

“There is no healing like God,” Jacobs said.

Sanders agreed adding if not for Walker, he would not be here today.

“She saved my life and prayed for me,” Sanders said. “This is my new family. They have really helped me.”

Jewell Turner, Walkers mom, is proud of the work her daughter is doing.

“I left my church to help her,” Turner said. “I feel she is doing what God wants her to do. God blesses me for doing it. I love everyone of them when they come in. I loved mine through it and I feel I can love someone else’s.”

‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.