LaVona’s Story

LaVona shares how your support changed her life!

LaVona Marshall

“All I thought about was danger and how to keep myself safe.”

LaVona’s father was the foundation of her life. When he was around, she felt safe and secure, like nothing could harm her. But when she was 8 years old, he passed away and her foundation crumbled. “I became anxious and was always thinking about worst-case scenarios,” she says.

She moved in with relatives, but they did nothing to help calm her fear, and LaVona grew up without the confidence she needed to venture into the world. “I doubted myself and my resourcefulness. All I thought about was danger and how to keep myself safe.”

“Wheeler Mission was an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands.”

Then, after years of feeling stuck, she found the courage to leave her hometown and head to Indiana to start a new life. She was staying with relatives while she got on her feet, but before she could get settled, they lost their home. “Suddenly, I was homeless,” she says.

It was the kind of worst-case scenario she’d dreaded all her life, but instead of falling apart, she saw it as an opportunity to learn a new way to live. That’s when she came to our Center for Women & Children, where she found shelter, meals, and the guidance she needed to turn her life around.

With the help of her Case Manager, LaVona assessed her needs and designed personal goals. She went to work in our kitchen, where she developed vocational skills and experience. And through Bible studies, devotions, and fellowship, she found safety and security in her Heavenly Father. “Wheeler Mission gave me a good foundation.”

“Now, I’m spiritually strong.”

For the first time in her life, LaVona is ready to face the world head on. Her father would be proud. “Wheeler Mission made me a better woman. I was weak, but now I’m strong and confident.”

This fall, LaVona gives thanks for YOU and your incredible generosity. Your prayers and support have helped change her life. “Wheeler Mission gave me a safe place to stay and set me up to succeed.”

To read the most recent issue of Inside Story, click to download.

Your support changes lives!

Your generous gift empowers life-saving care for men, women, and children in our community, and opens the door for personal and spiritual transformation. Please help today!

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