“You helped me move forward without judgment, and I’ll always be grateful.”
I was very young when I made the biggest mistake of my life. It’s haunted me every day since. I turned to gangs for the feeling of love and acceptance that was missing at home.
My parents did the best they could under difficult circumstances. They kept food on the table. I remember watching them collapse into bed after long shifts at work. Meanwhile, I felt like I didn’t belong.
Gang life led straight to misery, of course. I became addicted to drugs. I experienced years of domestic abuse, jail time and homelessness. My relationship with my children suffered greatly. City Rescue Mission felt like one last chance to get it right.
You gave me everything I needed to start over — food, clothing for job interviews, even a housing plan. Today I’m in technical school and have a number of job leads. I’ve got my own apartment. My greatest dream is to be self-sufficient and set a positive example for my kids. There’s a long way to go, but I have hope.
I ask God all the time to put the right people in my life to guide me. That’s just what He did. You helped me move forward without judgment, and I’ll always be grateful.
