Who we are

WWJDEW Ministries started as a spiritual calling to give back, to show those who are suffering that they don't have to continue to suffer. It has since grown to offer several programs, including multiple speakers passionate about sharing their inspirational stories with others, and a one-of-a-kind Athletes in Addiction program, focused on the particular challenges athletes face while trying to overcome an addiction.

We're here to give hope to the hopeless.

Sharing Our Stories

Our speakers love to share their stories with others. Their journeys are truly inspirational – each overcoming individual challenges of addiction and hearing loss. They speak to high schools, colleges, athletic groups, jails or prisons, church groups, recovery or treatment centers, conventions and more.

To arrange for one of them to speak to your group, please contact us.

Dewey L. Foster

Dewey’s life experiences include time spent as multi-sport athlete, class vice president, football captain, University of Toledo football player, sales manager and business owner – and a cocaine addict. When he evaluates his accomplishments, the greatest is deliverance from cocaine. Dewey describes his journey “to Hell and back” in a concise and truthful manner, including the good, the bad and the ugly. Those who hear his story internalize his pain, as well as his hope. View his full profile.

Mark Mays

Mark Mays was diagnosed with a hearing loss in 1965 due to ear infections and childhood illness. He was often told he wouldn’t be able to achieve most of his goals in life, yet he went on to play football at the University of Toledo, receiving an undergraduate degree there, and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Dayton. He speaks about the obstacles he had to overcome and how he turned his hearing loss into a positive aspect of his life. Read more here.

Athletes in Addiction

Addiction is difficult for athletes because of the way they are raised, trained, how society perceives them and how they perceive themselves. Those of us in addiction normally follow a variation of the 12 Step Program. The first step says, "We admitted we are powerless over our addictions and our lives have become unmanageable."

Powerless means to be weak, vulnerable, helpless. For athletes, the very idea that they are powerless over anything goes against everything they have been taught to believe since Pony League!

Dewey has personal experience as a collegiate football player, high school football coach and delivered addict. He believes that for the athlete, the road to recovery should include:

  • 12 Steps
  • behavioral modification
  • a relationship with a higher power (whom we choose to call "God")

We believe that the root cause of addiction lies in childhood trauma, generational curses, sociological challenges, and family dysfunction. One underlying issue is that we have been taught that "big boys don't cry" and men don't show emotion. Both of these are erroneous, crippling and self-defeating.

We believe that as athletes, we must:

  • admit who we are and whose we are
  • submit to a higher power and authority - "The Ultimate Coach"
  • commit to the understanding that our purpose is to help others, and that our athletic abilities and achievements are gifts (from God).