Sacrifices Pay Off as Donnia Finds Hope
The physical and emotional cost of raising a family isn’t seasonal – so Donnia knew her seasonal job wasn’t going to keep up with the needs of herself and her children, who were 9 and 11 years old. It was the only job she was able to find but it just wasn’t putting food on […]
Brothers Found Their Calling as Teens at the Mission
The first thing Michael (age 13) and Jesse (12) noticed when their mom brought their family to the Mission in 2004 was the friendly demeanor of everyone they met. Michael expected his family to get the basic necessities, but didn’t anticipate the level of compassion he found here. “I thought we would be sleeping in […]
Suddenly Out of Work, Donna Finds a Lifeline
Donna had always been a hard worker and held a steady job for her entire adult life. So when the company she worked for shut down in late 2009, she thought finding a new job would be relatively easy. But there was no work to be found and her savings was quickly drying up. By […]
Discipleship Program Helps John Get Back on His Feet
Anyone who meets John knows within minutes that this man never ceases to smile or crack a joke. His good-natured attitude may lead you to think that life’s been an easy ride for John. In reality, it was that good-natured attitude that helped him face the uncertainties of unemployment and homelessness with hope and a […]
Samantha Starts Fresh After Years of Abuse
On her wedding day, Samantha didn’t know that her new husband would soon become her abuser. They met while serving in the United States Air Force and he initially stood out from any other man she had ever met. But his charming words were replaced over time by mental and physical abuse. For the sake […]
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 […]
DeeDee Finds Safety and the Road to Success
In 1996, DeeDee found herself fleeing an abusive relationship with nowhere to turn. She took her 5-year-old son and stayed with a few friends while she looked for a more permanent place. “Because I left so quickly, I had almost nothing in my possession,” she said. “I needed a place to establish myself.” A friend […]
Family Finds the Tools to Rebuild Their Lives
Angela’s world went up in smoke in 2005 after a very difficult divorce. She had been working as an assistant administrator in the Nursing Department at Valencia College for 10 years but the sudden change in the family dynamic left her with little time to figure out how to support herself and her three teenage […]
Road to Redemption Started With a Meal
D’Angelo and Victoria came to Orlando from Maryland in 2010 with their three pre-teen daughters to find a fresh start. But the job hunt was quickly coming up short and money was going out faster than it was coming in. D’Angelo had a background in driving commercial trucks but was having trouble transferring his commercial […]
Blanca’s Last Resort was God’s Best
Blanca was used to sitting on the helping side of the table – not on the side of needing help. She had her Master of Social Work degree and had built a career around helping the less fortunate. Her world came crashing down however, when she lost her job in 1999, just weeks before the […]