Joe Wentzel

My name is Joe, and I’m a man in recovnever thought I’d be here, asking for help like this. I’ve spent years rebuilding my life from the ground up after addiction took everything from me. I got clean. I stayed clean. I went back to school. I earned credentials. I rebuilt relationships. I built a vision rooted in faith, service, and recovery. Right now, that rebuilt life is on the edge. I am facing the very real possibility of losing my apartment, my stability, and the foundation I’ve worked so hard to stand on. I’m thousands behind on rent, juggling survival while still trying to show up for school, recovery, and the community I’m building through Spiritual Gangster Recovery. This GoFundMe isn’t about convenience. It’s about survival. I believe deeply that recovery doesn’t end when the substances stop. Life still hits. Bills still come. And sometimes even the strongest people need help standing back up. I’m not asking for a handout. I’m asking for a hand up to get through this storm so I don’t lose everything I’ve fought for. Every dollar raised goes toward keeping a roof over my head, stabilizing my situation, and allowing me to continue building a recovery-centered mission meant to help others who feel lost, broken, or one bad week away from relapse or homelessness. If you can donate, thank you. If you can’t, please share. If you pray, please pray. I’m holding onto faith and hope because sometimes that’s all that’s left. I believe this chapter doesn’t end in loss. I believe it ends in testimony. Stay clean. Stay grounded. Stay gangster. We do recover.ery rebuilding my life in real time. I’ve overcome addiction, loss, and years of survival mode, and today I’m choosing faith, purpose, and forward motion even while facing serious financial hardship and the possibility of losing my home. I’m raising funds to stabilize my housing, cover basic living expenses, and keep building Spiritual Gangster Recovery. A mission rooted in lived experience, spirituality, and helping others hold on when hope feels thin. This isn’t about giving up. It’s about staying standing long enough to rebuild. If you believe in second chances, resilience, and faith over fear, thank you for being here.