Bridget never thought she would wind up living on the streets, pregnant and alone. But when she left an abusive relationship and had nowhere else to go, she became homeless in an instant – and she’s not alone. A Coalition for Homelessness Intervention (CHIP) 2018...
Growing up with an alcoholic father, Shawn followed his familiar path. “Drinking was like second nature to me,” he says, “and it consumed 10 years of my life.” When Shawn’s father passed away, his own addictions only escalated. His mother came to him in tears. “She...
Looking at her life, you’d never have guessed that Kasey had been battling depression and anxiety since she was a little girl. “I was 40 years old. I had a good job, a house, a car, a great kid,” she says. “But, inside me, it...
Bryan’s parents tried to shield him from the world with rules. But their limits awakened rebellion inside Bryan as a teen. “I felt like I had control,” he says. “I didn’t think bad things could happen to me.” To escape the rules at home, he started...
"I asked God to do whatever He had to do in my life." Jesse’s dad taught him construction – building houses to be solid and lasting. “I can build a house, the interior, exterior… anything.” But from a young age, Jesse’s dad also taught him about addiction....
Marquisha has been to the Mission once before. When her son was just three months old, she came here after a domestic violence situation put them both in danger. “I was torn up emotionally, physically – and depressed. God may have guided me here, but...
Jason was born into a happy home, but he wasn’t happy. “I never wanted for anything, but that didn’t stop me from causing havoc. I was always drinking, in trouble with the law, and dropped out of school at 16.” As an adult, he married and...
Francine grew up in a happy home with her mother and stepfather, but she wasn’t at peace. “I wanted my mother to be with my biological father. He was a heroin user but, as a kid, I didn’t understand,” she says. “I was a problem...
Johnny began using drugs and alcohol when he was just 19. His habit escalated over the years, costing him jobs and landing him a three-year prison term for drug and burglary charges. “You wouldn’t have wanted to be around me in those days,” he says. Then...
John’s pain seemed like it would never end. Early on, John knew he wanted to become an RN – he worked hard to get into nursing school and began a career focused on others. Then, he lost everything. He was caught taking opiates. His nursing license was revoked....