Woman discovers unexpected compassion during community service

Colleen Johnson makes thank you calls to donors as part of her community service with Star Gospel Mission.

For the first time in her life, Colleen Johnson found herself in trouble with the law. 

In the aftermath, she was desperate to finish her community service hours, get her record expunged and put the embarrassing incident behind her. She reached out to several organizations, looking for service opportunities. 

Only Star Gospel Mission responded to her requests. That turned out to be a blessing. 

“They were so welcoming, and everything they were doing for the community made me think I was meant to be there,” Ms. Johnson said. 

By volunteering five days a week, Ms. Johnson was able to quickly complete her 60 hours of community service. However, her time helping Star Gospel Mission staff proved to be more than checking a box to get her life back on track. 

“They were just so sweet and so kind and so willing to be there for me, especially during this time where I've been very embarrassed,” Ms. Johnson said. “They've made me feel a little bit more whole about the whole thing.” 

Colleen Johnson, right, helps out at Star Gospel Mission, alongside Jim McGrady, left, and Ian Giancursio, center.

A low point 

Ms. Johnson moved to Charleston with her family when she was 12. She graduated from Charleston Southern University. She occasionally saw Star Gospel Mission but never heard much about it. 

Before her life turned upside down, Ms. Johnson worked as an assistant general manager at a hotel, having worked her way up from the front desk during a nine-year career in the hospitality industry. 

Her mom has been really sick and recently moved into hospice care in Myrtle Beach. It’s been a hard blow for Ms. Johnson, whose father died about nine years ago.  

She was always one to socially drink on the weekends, but the drinking got worse.

“I was drinking to go to sleep, because I was so depressed,” she said. 

Due to some medical issues, Ms. Johnson sometimes falls asleep driving. The night before she got in trouble, she had been drinking too. She got on the road and felt sleepy. 

She pulled into a turn lane, turned the car off and fell asleep. 

The cops found her like that.

She was charged with drinking under the influence, but the breathalyzer didn’t process correctly at the scene. Nonetheless, Ms. Johnson didn’t want to wait for a trial. As a first-time offender, she qualified for pretrial intervention, which would expunge her record if she followed all the prescribed steps. 

She jumped at that chance. 

Colleen helps keep Star Gospel Mission clean and tidy. 

The turning point

As part of her program, Ms. Johnson attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“I didn’t hurt anybody, but I could have with all my medical conditions,” she said. “I’ve stopped drinking. I couldn’t do that anymore.” 

The staff at Star Gospel Mission helped Ms. Johnson through that tough decision. And they helped her reflect on her circumstances.

“They’ve been very freeing,” she said. “They’ve helped me through being embarrassed about it. They're amazing people.”

Ms. Johnson assisted with office work and phone calls. She organized blankets and towels in the locker area and offered to help the cook occasionally. But mostly, she helped clean the Mission, often focusing on the lobby area and the bathrooms. 

“I love cleaning, and that’s where they really needed a lot of help,” she said. 

While working in the lobby, she often saw people come into the Mission for the first time. She watched as General Manager Jim McGrady and Mission Executive Director the Dr. Marion Platt took time to talk with them, listening to their stories to find out if Star Gospel Mission was a good fit for their needs. 

“They care about that place, and they care about the people,” Ms. Johnson said.

Ms. Johnson is finished with her mandated community service hours. She’s starting to apply to hotel manager positions. 

However, she intends to keep volunteering at Star Gospel Mission. 

“That wasn’t even a question. These people have been so nice to me,” she said.