The author, defender of homeless people and human rights activist, Eugene Lee McDuffie celebrates the book release of “Scars” May 18 with a banquet at 6 p.m., East Hills Moravian Church, 1830 Butztown Road, Bethlehem.

From 6 p.m.-7 p.m., McDuffie will sign copies of his book. At 7 p.m., testimonies will be shared by Lex Diaz, Jerry Delgado, Mike Kingsley and Renaldo Nazario about how McDuffie influenced them through his ministry.

McDuffie has written three books: “Missing Love Child,” “Dare to Believe: Angels Without Wings” and his most recently-published, “Scars.”

The books will be available for purchase at the event. Those who purchase all three books may have their photograph taken with McDuffie that will be posted on his “Missing Love Child” web page.

As a teenager, McDuffie fled from his home to escape an abusive household. He lived in a basement and weighed about 70 pounds. He found himself in the streets, eating from garbage dumps until he found the path of Christianity.

McDuffie has dedicated his life to helping people. He chose the path of literature to heighten awareness.

“Missing Love Child” is a true story of how McDuffie overcame negligence and abuse throughout his childhood. He writes of how internal fulfillment cannot be satisfied through drugs, promiscuity, or money. Eugene’s message is: “No matter how far we’ve fallen in one fell swoop, the love of God can heal our soul.”

His second book, “Angels Without Wings: Dare to Believe” is a true story in which he utilizes personal testimonies to share his spiritual wisdom about the world of gang violence and substance abuse. He communicates a message of hope for those who have been in a similar place.

“Scars” tells a story of how he as a young boy faced isolation. The author shares details on how he worked through the hardship of abuse. The story includes dialogue to give the reader a more realistic image of Biblical scripture. McDuffie shares how God helped him heal from his past through “Scars.”

“Many people are living a life filled with emotional scars. This book is meant to heal internal scars and bring awareness,” McDuffie says.

McDuffie studied psychology at Kaplan University. He graduated from Youth Challenge Bible Institute in 1985, where he studied Theology, Evangelism, Youth Ministry. He also graduated from Teen Challenge Training center.

McDuffie has been an entrepreneur since 2001. He has been involved in community outreach work for more than 35 years. Today, he is a motivational speaker and continues to strive to help youth through his Bible classes, keynote speaking and gang prevention workshops.