Change of Heart – Mission Accomplished: Pastor William Andrews
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“I was 48 years old when I came off the street and stopped doing drugs,” Pastor William Andrews remembers. It was on a Sunday morning, September 21, 1997. He identifies the date without hesitation. The journey to that decision included days filled with disappointments and poor choices. Despite a strong religious upbringing, Andrews chose a […]
Stronger Together Volunteer Spotlight: Eva Faria & Enterprise Rent-A-Car
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Companies like Enterprise Rent-a-Car stand out in a world that sometimes seems overwhelmed by busy schedules and obsessive self-interest. Enterprise’s dedication to encouraging employees’ support of worthwhile, non-profit organizations has blessed the Mission for years. Eva Faria knows this more than most. For the last nine years, she has helped lead the Florida division […]
A New Calling: Anna’s Story
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Before Anna came to the Mission, she couldn’t stop re-reading Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness. And rivers in the desert.” Anna desperately wanted God to do something new with her life. Her body […]
Second Chances – Mission Accomplished: Marie Melendez
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Why was God punishing her?” Marie wondered. She was doing everything right. “I was going to church, being a great wife,” she recalls. And then, her husband left. Depression and financial stress reversed the clock, and she and her two children returned to the same condemned home they stayed in before the Mission. A […]
No Getaway Car: Shenell’s Story
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the movies, a thrilling escape scene often involves the roaring engine of a getaway car. For Shenell, running away was much quieter. When Shenell fled from domestic abuse, she had no driver’s license. In fact, she was terrified of the road. Her main form of transportation was the bus, and travel was difficult with […]
The Addition of Confidence – Mission Accomplished: Shaniah French
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] While her four children stared at the Christmas lights twinkling on the tree in the Mission’s lobby, Shaniah French felt unsure. Abusive words from her previous partner rang in her ears. Fleeing him led to homelessness. Self-doubt made her question her future. Could the Mission help? Shaniah asked this question when she first moved […]
Cooks in the Kitchen- Volunteer Spotlight: Valentina & Guiseppina
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] For mother-and-daughter duo Giuseppina and Valentina, family is an essential pillar of life. When Valentina fell on hard times, her mother was there to pick her back up. Not everyone has such a supportive family. Valentina knew this and wanted to support other women facing financial instability who, unlike her, faced their battle alone. […]
A Place of Rest – CLC Highlight: Christine’s Story
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] When Christine thinks of the Mission, Matthew 11:28 comes to mind: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Christine knows what it is to feel weary. Once she became pregnant, she dropped out of high school. Despite several attempts to complete her degree, a cycle […]
The Mission’s Grandma – Volunteer Spotlight: Janet Doxtater
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] “Grandma” serves at the Mission’s Bargain Store every Tuesday. Her real name is Janet Doxtater, but “everyone calls me ‘Grandma’,” Janet shares. Over the past 25 years, Janet has become a Bargain Store staple, and her nickname indicates the devotion store visitors feel toward her. “Grandma” is family. Visitors are not the only ones […]
Making the Impossible Possible: The Guzmans’ Story
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] A four-car collision knocked the Guzmans’ precarious finances to the pavement at the end of 2021. A Lyft driver, Luis’ lost his source of income in a moment. Genesis, his wife, now had no transportation to get to work. It felt like there was no hope. This theme of hopelessness was not new. It […]