Holmes man’s journey from desolation to joy focuses on family

Holmes man’s journey from desolation to joy focuses on family
Dave Mast

Wallowing in depression and loneliness, Mike Butler was contemplating some very difficult decisions in life. It was when he discovered a whole new family at the Love Center Food Pantry that he was able to turn his life around.

                        

Depression is an awful disease, pushing people to dark places where nobody wants to venture.

For Mike Butler, depression had pushed him to the brink of a dangerous thought he dwelt on for far too long.

For a man who had no family, no job, with little hope in sight, Butler was contemplating his life and what he could do to alleviate that horrible sense of hopelessness that had grown inside of him.

What saved his life was discovering he had not one but two families he never knew.

The first family was the one at The Love Center Food Pantry, where an employee at Job & Family Services told him of a volunteer organization that welcomed people in like family.

Family, there was that word again.

Butler figured he would check it out and contacted Love Center director Edgar Raber. The two men met, and Butler quickly realized there was something special at the Love Center, not just with Raber, but also with all the volunteers.

They instantly treated him like family.

“I was suffering from major depression,” Butler said. “It was severe, and I needed some semblance of life.”

At the same time, Butler began exploring the possibility of volunteering at the Love Center. One of the longtime shelf stockers there passed away, and a position was open. It seemed as though Butler was being led to find that semblance of peace he sought so dearly.

“I thank the Lord I was led to the Love Center,” Butler said. “Having that family, having that semblance of order in my life has turned my life around. Now I don’t sit at home every night thinking about suicide. I was desperate and on the verge of suicide. I was that depressed. But I really feel that God’s hand has guided me here.”

Butler quickly got acquainted with his new family, going in to volunteer several times a week. When COVID took over and volunteers were asked to cut back on their days, he continued to find the fellowship he needed to grow.

While Butler admitted he isn’t the most religious man in the world, he can definitely sense God’s presence at the Love Center through its volunteers.

“Every one of these people is my brother and sister,” Butler said of the Love Center’s volunteer crew. “Those relationship have helped me beyond what I could ever thank them. I know I could call any one of them, and they would listen to me and share with me. If it wasn’t for this place, I am not sure I’d be here today.”

Butler said his instant connection with Raber began his transformation, and Raber said while many people see and hear about the way the food pantry provides sustenance for the many local families that utilize its services, another big part of what they provide is an avenue for people like Butler to connect and commune in fellowship with others.

“I remember when someone called and told me there was a gentleman who wanted to volunteer,” Raber said. “I really didn’t know anything about his situation. I just really felt led to connect with him and listen to him. He said he was going to go and get his wheelchair and come in, and he’s been here ever since. He has fit right in.”

In addition, Butler, who was adopted at a very young age, found a whole new life in another way. When the Ohio government unsealed adoption records in 2015, Butler went on a search to find his birth mother, not realizing he had any family out there. Sadly, he found his birth mother a scant few weeks after she passed away, but he also found he had siblings, three of which live out west, and Cathie Hauter, who lives in Wooster.

The reunion between the two siblings was a joyful part of Butler's life, and soon the two began connecting on a regular basis. The man who had lost hope in ever having a family now had discovered he had two families.

“You come to find out you have siblings, and it is an amazing moment,” Butler said. “I have four sisters. If we don’t talk at least every other day, we wonder what’s going on. I am so blessed to have someone like my sister who is so close. I thank God for her and her family every day. I have been so incredibly blessed.”

From the brink of suicide to the joy of rejoicing with biological family and a group of volunteers who have made him feel like a valuable part of the family, Butler’s life has experienced twists and turns, but it took the compassion of people willing to reach out, listen and show him he had purpose and meaning for him to realize life’s blessings.

For those struggling with depression, there are places to turn and people waiting to help. Those places include but are not limited to the following:

AnaZao Community Partners, 212 N. Washington St., Millersburg; Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties, 212 N. Washington St., Millersburg; Family Life Counseling, 10 S. Clay St., Millersburg; OneEighty, 104 Spink St., Wooster; Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties, 2285 Benden Drive, Wooster; and United Way, 215 S. Walnut St., Wooster.


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