Looking back, tragedy and trauma marked Angela’s life. At the age of four, Angela lost her father. As she was heading into her pre-teen years, she lost her 3 siblings all within one year of each other. The devastating loss of her family and with the realization that she was the only sibling alive, Angela started coping with her pain with drugs.

For the next 20 years, Angela struggled with her addiction. She tried balancing motherhood and work while using but the sudden death of her husband in 2018 brought everything crashing down. Her dependence on drugs only increased and led to a life of homelessness for the next two and half years.

After years of homelessness and pain, Angela finally had enough. She came to the Mission looking for healing and freedom. When Angela finally walked through the doors of the Mission, “I wasn’t sure I wanted to be here, but I knew that I felt safe.” 

Today, Angela is now thriving and growing in our New BeginningsProgram. “I’m safe here and walking with Jesus now and following Him picking up my cross daily.” Today Angela knows she has a Jeremiah 29:11 and is chasing after it and after God. “I am thankful for the Mission because I am no longer homeless. This wouldn’t happen without our community.”

Laginappe:  Angela’s life was filled with trauma after trauma without any healthy means of coping with that trauma. Broken relationship after broken relationship left Angela with a life filled with both physical and spiritual homelessness and poverty. When it comes to lifting people out of homelessness, many government entities and nonprofit organizations believe housing is the answer. Housing would not have healed Angela’s trauma, Jesus did. Housing does not heal brokenness, only Jesus does! Jesus gives her hope and God has promised her a future!