Alumni Spotlight: Darrell Dow

When Darrell Dow started attending Trinity in fall of 2020, he was rebuilding his life after addiction. 

Now, he is the Development Manager of Trinity Rescue Mission (TRM), the very organization that helped him get sober and find his way back to a life of purpose.  He spends his days serving others and raising funds to benefit the homeless and/or addicted in Jacksonville, Florida.

Darrell was saved as a young teen, but his environment made it easy to make poor choices.

After some time in the military and a few ill-fated decisions, Darrell arrived at TRM in January 2016 with plans to stay just long enough to get back on his feet. Instead, it became the place God used to change the direction of his life entirely.  At first, recovery seemed impossible, but it all changed when he began digging into God’s Word daily and sought out mentors in the program who were thrilled to help him in his growth. 

“I got saved when I was young, but there wasn’t much of a sanctification process because there was no one to mentor me” he explains. 

Now, for the first time, he had a support system and the urge to return to his old habits of alcoholism were overcome by a desire to know and serve God.

Within a few short years, his life changed completely!

That summer, he accepted an offer to work at the facility, first as a case manager and later as program manager.  Having walked through addition himself, he could identify manipulation, empathize with residents, and call out unhealthy patterns with compassion. His transformation was remarkable!

By 2019, Darrell was married, serving as Program Manager at Trinity Rescue Mission, and had settled into a stable life. It was then that he decided to return to college.  While working full-time and raising a growing family, he completed his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Trinity College of Jacksonville in 2023.  Achieving this goal and finding great fulfillment working at TRM, he pressed forward.  Within a few short years earned his MBA in Finance from Liberty University and is currently pursuing his doctorate!

Nearly a decade after walking through the doors of Trinity Rescue Mission for the first time, Darrell Dow now helps lead and find funding for the ministry that helped rescue him.  

Currently serving as Development Manager for the mission, Darrell writes grants, interviews new staff, manages fundraising projects, and works closely with community partners.   As part of the development team, he has helped grow annual funding to more than 2 million dollars.  This funding primarily provides thousands of meals, nights of shelter, and recovery programs to men and women as well as shelter and resources for the children in their care.  It also makes it possible to renovate facilities, add needed staffing, and plan for the future.

Darrell believes that the power and effectiveness of a Christ-focused recovery is that it addresses the root of the matter first.

He is a strong proponent of presenting the gospel and identifying underlying challenges (such as mental or physical health needs) to provide effective support. 

“I can say I got all these degrees and know how to do this… but if I’m not able to sit down with somebody and share the gospel… it was all for nothing.”

Building on the foundation of the gospel, staff can address the specific issues of each individual, disciple them in the Word of God, teach life skills, coach for self-sufficiency, and help in the job search.  He says this model has consistently proven itself effective.

Through his various roles and long-term involvement at the recovery center, Darrell has witnessed this change in hundreds of individuals as they become free from addiction and grow to be self-sufficient members of their community.  It is truly an amazing transformation! 

His current position in Development and educational training has strengthened his understanding of how to run a sustainable program.  

Though writing grants, funding renovations, or managing budgets can feel mundane, Darrell says it is worth it for the stories of redemption that surface over time — sometimes months or even years later.  He recalls how abundantly God has provided for facility maintenance and upgrades, and the joyful fulfilment of seeing families reunited and the thriving success of recovered individuals.

“I can sit here for an hour and give you stories…,” Darrell says. “What I love about my job isn’t what I’m actually doing—it’s about the outcome.”

Having detailed familiarity with all levels of recovery and program implementation (including experiencing the need for recovery and shelter himself) Darrell is passionate about his work.  

He encourages interested individuals to contact the TRM volunteer coordinator for information on how to get involved.       

Darrell is married to Crystal Dow, and together they have two young children.  He is looking forward to completing his doctorate and in the future using his expertise to train others through higher education.