Jocelyn’s life has been made NEW this Easter!

Jocelyn’s childhood was marked by chaos and fear, shaped by her mother’s verbal and physical abuse. When her parents divorced, the instability only deepened. By 14, after her mother kicked her out, she went to live with her father. “My dad was the only solid figure in my life – my supporter,” she says.

Years later, the foundation she depended on crumbled when he passed away. Soon after, she went through a painful divorce. “Losing my dad was the tip of the iceberg,” Jocelyn recalls. “And the divorce was actually a blessing because it was an abusive relationship.” Sadly, the trauma from her childhood and marriage set her life on a downward spiral.

She spent her money on distractions rather than confronting her emotions, and soon found herself unable to pay rent and facing eviction. “I had no parent to go to, no home, and no one to help me,” she says. With nowhere else to turn, she came to your Evansville Rescue Mission – where, for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. “I had a place and didn’t have to worry about having a home.”

“I’m thankful to the Mission because they gave me an extended family.”

At your Evansville Rescue Mission, Jocelyn found community, compassion, and renewed faith. She now works at the front desk, offering encouragement to newcomers. Jocelyn is grateful for the chance to grow in new ways. “I’m learning how to accept God and all the help offered here,” she says.

She’s creating healthy boundaries, gaining financial stability, and learning about nutrition. “The program touches everything and I like that it’s going to give me the stability I need.” Most importantly, she’s healing so she can be there for her daughters. “I don’t want to repeat the trauma with my kids,” she says.

This Easter, Jocelyn has a new direction for her life. Thank you for lighting the path forward for her to experience a future of hope and peace! “Before coming here, I was lost. Now, I have a purpose.”

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Thank you for sharing Christmas blessings with Wayne!

Wayne describes his childhood as normal, growing up with his mother and siblings. He graduated from high school, served in the United States Navy, and got his associate’s degree in computer programming.

But when a family dispute left him homeless during the winter months, he had nowhere else to turn. “It was snowing and icy. I was walking down the street and a man picked me up. He said I looked like I needed to get warm and offered me some water.”

That Good Samaritan brought Wayne to your Evansville Rescue Mission, where he joined the P.A.C.E.S. (Purpose, Accountability, Christ, Education, Service) program.

“Coming to the Evansville Rescue Mission was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

A safe place to sleep and stay warm is important for everyone – but due to some health concerns, it was especially critical for Wayne. “Since coming here, I’ve had the opportunity to get better medical care and to focus more on my health.”

The holistic care offered by our discipleship program has improved many facets of Wayne’s life. “I learned how to control my temper better, grew in faith, and improved my communication skills. I learned how to do my finances and how to focus on my goals in life. The program gave me time to really think about my life and helped me to be a better person.”

After graduating the program, he started working in housekeeping before being promoted. “Now I’m head of security here at the Evansville Rescue Mission.” On a typical day, he oversees team members and welcomes new guests, takes their information, and shows them around. It’s a full circle moment as Wayne shares the hospitality he received when he arrived.

This Christmas, Wayne is experiencing the gifts of peace and hope for a brighter future. Thank you for sharing the blessings of God’s love with him! “I’m thankful to the Evansville Rescue Mission because of the care they have provided me.”

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Mike shares how your support gives him hope!

One of the most difficult challenges of Mike’s life was watching his young daughter undergo four open heart surgeries. “She’s all right now,” he says, “but that was very hard on me.”

What Mike didn’t know at the time was that his own medical challenges would also arise ten years later, and that he would be the one in desperate need of care. The most difficult season of struggles began when Mike lost his home.

He was thrust into homelessness in an instant. “My apartment burned up,” he remembers painfully. “It was horrible. I was on the street, not knowing where I was going or how I’d get by.” In this dark hour, he turned to your Evansville Rescue Mission and found comfort and a second chance.

“Everybody here welcomed me with open arms when I needed it most.”

In addition to the shelter here, Mike found teaching and healing that he didn’t know he needed. “I’ve learned so much from the classes, about my own health and wellness.”

His faith also flourished in his new environment. “My spiritual life has changed completely. Going to chapel, praying every day… it’s been so healing.” And he relished the chance to give back through work assignments.

During his time here, he faced a medical scare that once again brought up the trauma and fear he’d dealt with when his daughter was sick. “I was diagnosed with cancer of the throat while here, but the Mission helped me get the care I needed. I’m cancer-free now.”

Looking to his future, Mike plans to get settled in a new apartment, spend more time with his family, and maintain his spiritual walk through prayer, scripture, and church.

Your gifts are bearing fruit in the lives of people like Mike. Now, his heart is full of hope this fall… thanks to your kindness! “I’m so thankful for the Mission. They had that faith in me that I could still have a full and meaningful life. I’ve been changed and saved.”

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Your love helps Kevin know he is not alone!

Kevin was raised by a single mother who worked hard to give him a stable and healthy home. “She took care of me, and I had a decent childhood with a good education,” he remembers. 

After serving in the military, he moved to Chicago for 15 years where he was married but eventually divorced. When his mother became sick, he moved back to take care of her, but returning to his home proved difficult. 

“The divorce was hard on me, I withdrew from everyone, and when COVID hit it made the isolation even worse.” Division grew between himself and his mother – he was festering in his misery and solitude. His mother asked him to leave. 

He had no motivation, no calling, and he felt hopeless in life. What’s worse, he perceived everyone around him as being against him and judgmental. “I was completely withdrawn and had no aspirations… I felt so alone.” Desperate for a new beginning and purpose, Kevin turned to your Evansville Rescue Mission.

“I’ve become part of a community that’s so important to me.” 

In our Health and Wellness Program, Kevin’s life and outlook began to transform. “I’m learning to deal with adversity in a positive way.” He also found meaning in his work around your Evansville Rescue Mission as the head of safety, at the front desk assisting with intakes, and as a residential assistant.

He has discovered a passion for helping others that he plans to pursue when he graduates. “I want to build a career in counseling to help others like I was helped.” 

Thank you for loving neighbors like Kevin “as you’ve loved yourself.” Your kindness has reminded him that he is not alone and that a better life is possible! “The Mission has taught me how to cope with the hard times in a healthy way and given me a life-changing community. I had given up on life, but now I’m excited for my future and the things I know I can accomplish.”

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Douglas has a NEW LIFE in Christ this Easter!

When Douglas was just 11 years old, he was shocked by the sudden death of a beloved neighbor. “It’s a trauma that still affects my life,” he recalls. And it was only the beginning.

As a teenager, he lost his uncle and his father as well, leaving emotional scars that never fully healed. “After so many losses, I just felt like the sadness and sorrow would never go away.”

Douglas began drinking heavily in an attempt to cope with the deep sadness he felt. “I thought I could kill the pain with alcohol. I was just trying to escape.”

His addiction led to pancreatitis and as his life spiraled downward, he found himself without a home and losing all hope. “I was sleeping outside in the kind of cold that you can feel all the way to your bones.” That was when God led Douglas to your Evansville Rescue Mission.

“The Evansville Rescue Mission gave me a home and the safety I needed.”

Walking through the door, Douglas felt the warmth and love of a new home. “Before I got here, I was so lost. But they welcomed me, gave me a bunk, and fed me. I felt like I’d been found.” 

In our P.A.C.E.S. (Purpose, Accountability, Christ, Education, Service) Program, Douglas began to heal from the pain that haunted him for years. He found the support of a faith-based community that welcomed him, and he received medical treatment for his pancreatitis. “I finally have the medication I need to be healthy.” 

He also found renewed purpose and joy, working in housekeeping and settling into the routines of life there. Planning for his future after your Evansville Rescue Mission, Douglas hopes to pursue a new career in cybersecurity.

This Easter, Douglas is experiencing God’s gift of new life! Thank you for empowering him to follow Christ’s calling in his life. “I was wandering aimless and without hope for so long, and then I came here. I’m no longer alone, and I am so grateful for this place.”

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Thank you for giving Cody a life-changing gift this Christmas!

For years, Cody struggled with opening up to other people. He and his brother were raised by their grandmother, and when she passed away the loss weighed heavily on Cody. “Losing her took such a toll on me, it was a trauma I didn’t know how to recover from.”

He found himself homeless, struggling to eat or find work. For a while he spent his nights sleeping on the couches of the very few friends he had, as he tried to make a plan for his future.

But soon his anxiety made him pull away from even those people. “My mental state was not in a good place, with everything I’d gone through. I felt so low, and I just didn’t want to be around people.”

At his lowest, Cody realized that he had to fight through the fear and find help. “I was at rock bottom, spiritually and personally. I felt like I had no one and I knew I needed to reach out or I would have no future.” Praying for a miracle, he came to the doors of your Evansville Rescue Mission.

“I felt welcomed immediately… like I could open up here and grow.”

In our Health and Wellness program, Cody began to flourish, as he opened himself up to Christian fellowship and the healing gift of God’s love. “They understand what I’ve gone through in my life, and the group here has helped care for my mental state in a way I really needed.” 

His work experience at your Evansville Rescue Mission is also helping him prepare to secure a job and a stable living situation once he’s ready to take his next step.

This Christmas, Cody is experiencing all the joy this season has to offer – because YOU believed in the power of a fresh start and the promise of God’s unending love. “The Mission has helped me open up to other people again and focus on my goals for the future. I’m building my faith back, and I don’t feel alone anymore.”

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Giving thanks for YOU 

Lawrence shares how your support changed his life!

Lawrence was raised by his grandma until he was 12, but when she died, he was forced to live with his mother. “My mom was an alcoholic,” he remembers, “and my daddy was an addict who wasn’t really in my life.” 

Without parental support or encouragement, he turned to drugs and alcohol as a distraction from boredom. “I went from occasional partying to full blown daily addiction… I was out of control. I chose the street and drugs over my family, and it derailed my life.” 

His downward spiral of addiction was made worse by an increasingly bad temper that got him into trouble. A violent altercation while under the influence resulted in him being sent to prison for 10 years.

“This place is a blessing; they gave me the tools I needed to change my life for the better.”

While serving his time, Lawrence began to see he needed a real change in his life. “I came to grips with myself, I realized I wanted to get closer to God, and I committed to making changes.” That commitment led him to your Evansville Rescue Mission. 

In our Oasis Program, Lawrence had the support he needed to get clean from his addiction and work on his anger issues. “Controlling my temper has been such a struggle for me in the past, but they’ve helped me overcome my anger.” 

His work training on the housekeeping team and the safety and security team has helped prepare him for employment and life after your Evansville Rescue Mission. “The people here gave me the drive to do better and be better. They saw something in me and have stayed beside me to help prepare me for the next step.”

This fall, Lawrence gives thanks for YOU and your incredible generosity. Your prayers and support have helped change his life. “I’ve got a roof over my head; I’ve learned how to save money and how to get around; I’ve got people I can talk to and a plan for my future… most of all, I’ve got hope now.”

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The love YOU share

gives neighbors like David hope for a better life…

When David was just 15, he witnessed an unimaginable tragedy that changed the course of his life. “My best friend was in a car wreck and died right in front of me. It really messed me up.”

He didn’t have the skills to cope with his trauma and began self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. For 20 years, David’s addiction controlled his life, destroying his self-esteem. Eventually, he wound up in a relationship with an emotionally abusive woman. Then, one day, she turned violent. “She beat me in the head until everything went black,” David says.

Thankfully, he regained consciousness, and in that moment, he realized that he was worth more than the life he was living, so he came to your Evansville Rescue Mission. “I told myself, ‘This is where I’m going to get my life straight.’”

Through our P.A.C.E.S. (Purpose, Accountability, Christ, Education, Service) program’s Health and Wellness Track, he’s done just that. In counseling and life-skills classes, he’s healed from his trauma and developed healthy coping skills to manage his PTSD and face whatever life sends his way. “I’ve never felt this good before,” he says.

With his emotions stabilized, David has been able to focus on his spiritual growth through Bible studies, chapel services, and Christian fellowship. “I know that God is on my side and I’m letting Him guide me. My spirituality comes before anything else.”

“The Mission turned my life around.”

Now, he’s developing vocational skills in our Centennial Center coffee shop, and after graduation he plans to serve as an intern, managing the shop. When he’s saved enough money, David is looking forward to getting a place of his own and becoming the independent and productive man God intended.

David now has strength for his future because of your heart of compassion for him and other neighbors in need. Because you chose to share God’s love, he has a path forward in life. “I was broken, but now I’m healed.”

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Niko is celebrating Easter with JOY – because of you!

Thank you for showing him that new life is possible.

Niko’s struggle with addiction began at a young age, sipping his parents’ unfinished drinks. By the time he was a teenager, the grip of alcohol had taken hold of him. “It was a downward spiral, I just kept drinking and getting worse.”

Throughout his life he endured the loss of many people including his baby sister, his parents, his son, and eventually, his wife – and each loss weighed him further down in grief and pain that he drank to escape.

At age 63, after DUIs and jail time, he found himself at rock bottom without a roof over his head, and mourning the death of his wife. “It made me want to drink myself to death,” he admits, but instead he turned to your Evansville Rescue Mission.

“I’ve turned my life around now, thanks to God.”

For Niko, arriving at your Evansville Rescue Mission felt like being found after wandering lost for years. The community became a cornerstone of his recovery, and he felt God working in his life as he took part in our P.A.C.E.S. program and attended church and AA meetings regularly. “I’ve never had friends that were sober before – they’ve helped me get my life back together. And I have a relationship with Jesus Christ now.”

In addition to his physical and spiritual recovery, Niko has reconnected with his love of creating art, and plans to nurture that habit in his retirement. Niko’s future is bright with hope. He’s saving money and plans to move into an apartment of his own soon.

Thank you for sharing God’s love with Niko this Easter. His life has been renewed through the joy and hope of the Gospel! “I was lost, like I said, and now I’ve got a friend named Jesus, and I’ve got sober friends, and things are looking up.”

To read the full newsletter, click here.