Jefferson Award

MOBILE COUNTY - FOX10's first winners of the Jefferson Award are Lonnie and Carol Miller. The Millers are committed to help transform the lives of men, in a remote place near the Mississippi state line.

It's out of view of most of us, but the Miller's have impacted communities not just in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, but also around the nation. It's called the Mission of Hope, and it's a 40 acre piece of land where men go to kick their addictions, and to find themselves once again.

There was nothing but vacant land here when the Miller's first arrived. The buildings you see today are a testimony of this couple's faith and love for their fellow man. Lonnie and Carol's story starts about 40- years ago in Houston, before they knew they would do this work in Mobile.

"My heart was being drained everyday I was going to work, and my boss noticed it, and after awhile he kept saying when were going to leave, we've got to train somebody, I think he got tired of me as I got tired of the job, it was a mutual thing. God was just moving my heart, that's all it was," says Lonnie Miller.

Lonnie had a good job, and was climbing the corporate ladder. But in his free time he was volunteering at the local mission three to four times a week, and driving the mission's bus. Lonnie wanted to do more. After several months and much prayer, he told Carol they needed to sell their beautiful home, buy a trailer, and do missions work.

Carol Miller says, "Our friends thought we were crazy because we really hadn't been called anyplace, and it was two years after that we did sell the house and bought a trailer house, that's it out there in fact."

Nearly 40 years later, it's still being used for missions work. Here at the 40acre property, men come to remove themselves from negative environments. They're fed, housed and given the life changing instructions needed to end drug or alcohol addiction.

"For our men to go back into that environment is certain death, this is a life and death issue."

The men raise the livestock, cook their meals, and clean their dormitories.

They can also learn new skills or sharpen old ones in the garage, and in the workshops.

Last summer, the Miller's opened the Haven of Hope, providing a fresh start for women. Gloria Jones finished the program six months ago. Now she's helping others.

"Having come to the Haven it meant life, I was out there, I have been in many rehabs, but never not like this one, its changed my life totally."

Many of the mission's employees are former clients, who have stayed to help others. The Miller's nearly 40 year mission in Mobile has not been easy. They've sacrificed, and money has been tight at times, but many prayers have been answered.

"The thing that has excited me over the years and still does is how He answers prayers for little things, I believe that excites me more than the big things, because it is so specific."

Their motto is "When you help a man, you help a family." Because of the Miller's, thousands of men and now women have been helped, and families successfully restored.

That's why they are named as one of Jefferson Award winners.

The Mission of Hope accepts donations to continue their work of helping others.