Life-Changing Care Puts Family Back on Their Feet
Life seemed to be on a pretty good track for foster parents Steven and Angel. Steven worked while Angel took care of their children at home. But one day, without warning, Steven had a seizure.
Steven and Angel had no idea the seizure was the beginning of a medical condition that would cause the doctors tell him that he could no longer work. This would hurl their family into a world they didn’t know how to navigate. With no income, they had no way to pay the rent or put food on the table for their children.
It was a heartbreaking day when they realized they could no longer be foster parents. In order to give their foster kids the best access to a loving home, Angel and Steven placed them with other families. Then the eviction notice came. Steven, Angel, and their biological son had become homeless.
“When we found the Mission in January 2011, the only one of us who had eaten that day was our son. His father and I hadn’t eaten in three days,” Angel remembered. “Our first night there was a mix of fear and relief – fear because we didn’t know what the future held, and relief because we were together and safe.”
The family lived at the Mission for 21 months while Steven figured out his medical condition and Angel worked. “All the staff wanted us to succeed so much that they weren’t afraid to tell us what we needed to change. Each one loved us with the love of Christ – especially our case manager,” said Angel.
With the aid of their case manager, Steven and Angel strengthened their marriage and their financial habits. Once the doctors were able to identify his condition, Steven also was able to adapt his lifestyle to minimize the chance of future seizures.
In September 2012, the family moved to Illinois to be close to Angel’s family. Steven identified a potential path to employment that would not interfere with his health. He is back in school for fire science and arson investigation while Angel works full time. Their son completed a pre-kindergarten program last year and is currently enrolled in kindergarten.
“This is the best quality of life we have ever had,” Steven said. “The Mission gave us the jumpstart we needed. Now we are settling in and growing as a family.”
During their 21 months at the Mission, Steven and Angel strengthened their marriage and improved their financial habits. Each day, O.U.R. Mission Home offers life-changing care to more than 30 families, like Steven and Angel’s. Your financial support creates similar stories of life transformation. Each gift of $26.82 provides a hot meal and life-changing care for a homeless man, woman or child in Central Florida!
