Know how Jacquie got back her joy at City Mission and is happy!

Jacquie Found Joy at City Mission

"City Mission is the Lord's house. If this place can help me, think about all the good things it can do. I am forever attached to this place now," said Jacquie, a current City Mission resident. "Here, I finally began to understand that life isn't totally about me and my needs. When I began to put other people first, I attained peace and joy that I never really had before."

Jacquie went into foster care when she was 11, had her first drink at 14,and a year later, ran away from home and started living on the street. She struggled with alcoholism and homelessness for decades.

Jacquie drank to numb the pain of her traumatic childhood. “Alcohol was my magic elixir,” she explained. “It seemed to solve all of my problems at first.” Over time, it created even bigger problems for her.

One day, during a 24-hour lock down in jail, she picked up the Bible and started reading. She got down on her knees, and she gave her life to Christ. But she couldn’t quite kick her alcoholism. Not at first. After her release from jail, she went right back to living on the street. She hopped a freight train into Pittsburgh with her friends.

“It just became clear to me,” she explained, “that -- because I had gotten saved, you know, I asked Jesus into my heart -- that the life I was living was not what I was supposed to be living. And it got painful. You know, it got spiritually painful to go on the way that I did.”

So she went to rehab and has been sober now for over a year!

After completing a six-month program at a halfway house, she decided to come to City Mission to continue to strengthen her relationship with Christ.

“City Mission provides me with shelter, you know, that needed sanctuary from the world,” she said. “And I just needed that. I can sit here and talk about the things I’ve gained materialistically in sobriety, but the things that mean the most to me are the things you can’t see. And that’s my relationship with God and the joy I have in my heart.”

Recently, Jacquie got the highest-paying job she has ever had, working at a distribution warehouse. She was able to save up money and purchase a car. Also, she recently started college to study social work. In the future, she hopes to become a social worker and work to heal those in need.

“I want to work in some capacity with alcoholics and addicts. But I would really, really like to help the homeless. Just get into the community and help.”

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October 30, 2020

Gary Porter

Communications Manager

Gary has been with the mission since 2017. He writes many of our resident stories, getting to know many of them and seeing their transformations at the mission from the start.

gporter@citymission.org

Ride Like the Wind

August 4, 2023

“The people here at City Mission cared about me when I couldn’t even care about myself,” Greg said of his experience at the Mission. “They showed me love and understanding when I couldn’t even love and understand myself.” Greg grew up in Turtle Creek, the youngest of five kids. “I was a spoiled little brat,” he said. He always had nice clothes and cool stuff. He got away with everything. He was the baby of the family. But he also experienced more than his share of trauma when he was young. “My story is full of the deaths of loved ones,” he explained. Greg’s childhood idol, Roger, rode motorcycles. “Roger would pick me up and put me on his bike and ride me up the hill,” Greg explained. “Whenever I heard the engine of that bike, no matter where I was or what I was doing, I dropped everything and came running.” When Greg was just six years old, Roger wrecked his bike and was killed. It was devastating for Greg to lose his boyhood idol at such a young age, but it didn’t diminish his lifelong love of motorcycles. When Greg was 12, his dad died on Christmas. “That’s when my addiction really took off,” he said. “I hated God. I was angry all the time. I worried about everything. I started having nightmares. I would sleepwalk and wake up shouting, ‘Jesus doesn’t love me. He never loved me.’” Drugs and alcohol momentarily took his anger and his worry away, so he started chasing after them so he could stay in that feeling of numbness as often as possible. But he never learned to deal with his problems or his pain, so everything just continued to get worse. He did receive some social security benefits after his father’s death. His mom had a job and didn’t need the money for the household, so he spent it all on cool sneakers, nice clothes, and alcohol. He bought himself a dirtbike and learned to ride. In high school, he was a star athlete, but he dropped out of school so he could party. He was getting into fistfights all the time. “I was never really fighting anyone else. I was just fighting what was inside of me,” he explained. “I was fighting my own demons.” When he was 19, he got his first DUI, but the charges were dropped. When he was 21, he went away to state prison for four years. He ended up spending most of the 1990’s in prison. While he was in prison, his Mom passed away. He never really got to say goodbye. He tried to turn his life around, and he got clean for a while in his 20’s and was even engaged to be married to a good, stable young woman who was studying to work in the medical field. On July 4th, she died suddenly of a brain aneurysm, and his life spiraled again. When he was 29, he had his first operation. Arthritis was wreaking havoc on the whole left side of body, and between ages 29 and 47, he would have 13 total operations, including an ACL replacement in his left knee, a reconstruction of his left ankle, reconstructive surgery on his jaw, shoulder reconstruction, and five total hernia surgeries. After one of his hernia surgeries, his body had a bad reaction to the surgical mesh used in the operation, and he was in constant pain for the next eight years. “I went to the emergency room 52 times in eight years,” he explained. During that time, he started doing heavier drugs to help deal with the constant pain he was enduring. “I was angry all the time,” he said. “Angry at myself. I would lash out, get into fights. For me, frustration and depression always turned into anger, because I didn’t know how to handle it.” When the surgical mesh was finally removed and the previous surgery corrected, he started feeling better physically, and he started to put together some clean time. He got a good job in a manufacturing plant in Lancaster County. “I was running my own department,” he said. “I’d be a superviser there now if I had stayed.” But he relapsed. He moved back to Pittsburgh and stayed clean for a while. Only to relapse again. And he had his first experiences with fentanyl. “It got really weird,” he explained. “I was yelling out the windows and talking to dead people. I broke everything in my house. I broke the tv. I had obituaries of strangers just spread out all over the house. I was losing my mind.” In a short period of time, Greg overdosed 24 times. “Eight of those times were really serious,” he said. “I woke up in the hospital. But sometimes, I’d come to on the floor, soaked in sweat. Every three times I would do drugs, I would OD. I was slowly dying. I had no desire to live anymore, but I was too scared to blow my own head off.” Greg believed that suicide was a mortal sin and that he wouldn’t see his loved ones in the afterlife if he killed himself. So he just kept killing the pain with drugs. “They gave me energy and took away all my pain,” he explained. “I didn’t feel nothing. No physical pain. No mental anguish. Addiction is a disease of feelings. I just didn’t want to feel anything anymore.” His body deteriorated to 150 pounds. He was simply withering away, waiting to die, until one day, his biker friends all came over to his house for an intervention. Each one of them poured out their hearts and let him know how much he meant to them. He went to rehab that night. While in rehab, he met City Mission Chaplain and Housing Coordinator, Doug Bush. And Greg knew that if he was really going to change, he needed to get right with God. After rehab, he came to City Mission to get his life back on track. “After eight months at the Mission, I accomplished so much,” he said. “I’m not at all the angry person I was not that long ago. I got my social security benefits. My resentments are pretty much all gone. Even my resentments against myself. Now, when I start to worry or when I feel the anger starting up, I just pray to God. I pray for strength. I pray prayers of gratitude. I pray for the anger to get pulled away from me. And it always does. And mostly, I pray for others.” “City Mission has given me a place to sit still,” he added. “They taught me patience. They taught me how to trust people again. They gave me something to believe in and taught me that there is something bigger than myself. They taught me how to pray and how to deal with my anxieties.” “You know, if anybody else would have done the things to me that I did to myself, I would’ve beat them up. Instead, I just beat myself up. And I just always thought that I deserved all the pain in my life and all the problems. But the Mission taught me that I’m not a bad person. They taught me how to be able to deal with myself.” “You can’t worry about yesterday,” Greg added. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery, so you gotta live in the present. When you look in your rearview mirror, you only see a small picture, a limited view. Doing that kept me in my addiction for a long time.” Recently, Greg moved out of the Mission. He moved in with his stepson, while he looks for a place of his own. Today, he is looking forward to his future. “Today, I have no desire to put that junk in me ever again. I have no desire to die. I want to live. I want to have happiness.” And even with all his pain and physical ailments, he still wants to ride his motorcycle. “I’m going to ride my motorcycle for as long as I can. That’s my passion. To me, it’s freedom. It’s the best therapy I’ve ever had. When I get on a bike, all my pains are gone. I can ride for miles.” Greg has been given a second chance. Every day, more people just like Greg, come through our doors in need of healing and restoration. Please consider donating to City Mission HERE to help them turn their lives around.

"A Living Ministry"

July 21, 2023

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 “The City Mission Maintenance Department is about more than just accomplishing tasks,” said Director of Supportive Services, Jason Johnson. “It’s an organic, living ministry that God provides through Paul.” He was speaking about Paul Boardley, City Mission’s Maintenance Manager for the past 8 years, and the small team of City Mission residents he leads to maintain the buildings and the grounds around campus. Boardley worked for 36 years in the coal mine before retiring in 2011. He was ready to relax and play golf and enjoy his retirement, but God had a different plan for his life. Once he reluctantly accepted the position as Maintenance Manager at City Mission, he realized immediately that it was not just a job. It was a ministry! “Every day, God gives me the opportunity to come alongside the guys I work with,” said Boardly. “It’s really a blessing. The most important thing I do at the Mission every day is to let these guys know how much I love and care about them. And to let them know that we’re a team – a brotherhood. I’m so thankful every day for these guys.” Last month, Boardley’s maintenance crew fulfilled 78 work orders all over campus, with jobs ranging from changing a light bulb, to hanging blinds, to painting – anything that is needed. “The number’s not important,” Boardley explained. “It’s about getting done what the Mission needs to keep going.” But the Mission Maintenance crew saves City Mission thousands and thousands of dollars on jobs that would have otherwise had to be contracted out to vendors. This past week, Boardley and his team of three residents, Adam, Drew, and Eric, worked in our Women’s Shelter. They fixed a leaky toilet and replaced the damaged floor around it as well as part of the ceiling in the room below it. They also installed a brand-new sink in the bathroom and replaced a rotted-out window. Additionally, they serviced all of the window air-conditioning units in the Women’s Shelter. Before coming to City Mission from the Washington County Jail two months ago, Adam owned his own plumbing and construction business, so he has all the skills needed to do professional work all over campus. “I lost everything prior to coming here,” Adam explained. “I lost my business and all of my equipment, but now none of that really matters. This place has changed my life. God really changed me for the better, and I’m getting it all back tenfold.” At first, Adam was reluctant to come to a homeless shelter. “But this place is more like a home than a homeless shelter,” he said. “It’s a powerful place. Everybody here is so compassionate and open to listening to my thoughts and feelings and opinions. That’s pretty awesome. I used to keep everything bottled up. Being here has really helped me to open up.” Adam is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Mission by using his construction skills to take care of the building and the grounds around campus. “It’s really satisfying to be able to give back,” he said. “This place has helped us. The least we can do is to do a good job and do things right.” And today, his future looks bright. “Anything I do for the rest of my life is going to be centered around Christ.” Drew came to City Mission 3 months ago. After living in California for 20 years, he moved back to the area recently to help care for his mom, who is struggling with dementia. When she moved into a nursing home, he started drinking heavily and realized that he couldn’t stop on his own, so he went to rehab in Aliquippa. But that proved to be too far from his mom, so as soon as he could, he came to City Mission. And he visits her every chance he gets. “I’m really impressed with Drew’s dedication to visiting his mom,” said Boardley. Twenty-some years ago, Drew moved out to California to help get away from the influences that were leading him down the road to addiction. “It was a sort of geographical cure,” he explained. For the most part, it worked. He had some bumps along the way, but he was able to work and develop years of experience in construction while living in California. With a degree in Aeronautics and decades of experience in construction, Drew brings a well-rounded skills and knowledge base to the Maintenance crew. On June 25, Drew and Adam were both baptized at the Porter Pillow and Peggie Beaver-Pillow Chapel on City Mission campus. It was a life-changing moment for both of them. Eric, the third member of the Maintenance crew, has been at City Mission for just over three months. This is his second stay at the Mission. “I was successful when I left here the first time,” he said. “It wasn’t that it was unsuccessful. How many times to Peter deny Him? We all have faults. We all have setbacks.” After he left the Mission a few years ago, Eric ended up back in the Washington County Jail. While he was there, he attended every Bible study he could. “In jail,” he added, “the whole time I just felt this yearning to come back to the Mission and to be closer to God.” “It’s hard to even put into words how I feel about this place,” he said. “The Mission has helped me in the process of completely getting out of my own way. It’s given me an opportunity to figure out how to love other people. To take the focus off of myself and put it on others in a truthful way. Mercy is love in action. If I can show mercy to others, then I’ll receive mercy in return. I’m just trying to figure out how to do it on a daily basis. And whenever I’m here at the Mission, it’s not about me.” “Every job is important,” explained Boardley, “when you do it for the Lord. God has us all here at the Mission for a reason. It’s not a coincedence. This is our chance to honor God with our lives. And God is doing tremendous work here at the Mission – changing lives, reuniting families, and saving souls.” You can help further the ministry at City Mission. We need your help to do what we do every day. Visit citymission.org to find out how you can help. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 “The City Mission Maintenance Department is about more than just accomplishing tasks,” said Director of Supportive Services, Jason Johnson. “It’s an organic, living ministry that God provides through Paul.” He was speaking about Paul Boardley, City Mission’s Maintenance Manager for the past 8 years, and the small team of City Mission residents he leads to maintain the buildings and the grounds around campus. Boardley worked for 36 years in the coal mine before retiring in 2011. He was ready to relax and play golf and enjoy his retirement, but God had a different plan for his life. Once he reluctantly accepted the position as Maintenance Manager at City Mission, he realized immediately that it was not just a job. It was a ministry! “Every day, God gives me the opportunity to come alongside the guys I work with,” said Boardly. “It’s really a blessing. The most important thing I do at the Mission every day is to let these guys know how much I love and care about them. And to let them know that we’re a team – a brotherhood. I’m so thankful every day for these guys.” Last month, Boardley’s maintenance crew fulfilled 78 work orders all over campus, with jobs ranging from changing a light bulb, to hanging blinds, to painting – anything that is needed. “The number’s not important,” Boardley explained. “It’s about getting done what the Mission needs to keep going.” But the Mission Maintenance crew saves City Mission thousands and thousands of dollars on jobs that would have otherwise had to be contracted out to vendors. This past week, Boardley and his team of three residents, Adam, Drew, and Eric, worked in our Women’s Shelter. They fixed a leaky toilet and replaced the damaged floor around it as well as part of the ceiling in the room below it. They also installed a brand-new sink in the bathroom and replaced a rotted-out window. Additionally, they serviced all of the window air-conditioning units in the Women’s Shelter. Before coming to City Mission from the Washington County Jail two months ago, Adam owned his own plumbing and construction business, so he has all the skills needed to do professional work all over campus. “I lost everything prior to coming here,” Adam explained. “I lost my business and all of my equipment, but now none of that really matters. This place has changed my life. God really changed me for the better, and I’m getting it all back tenfold.” At first, Adam was reluctant to come to a homeless shelter. “But this place is more like a home than a homeless shelter,” he said. “It’s a powerful place. Everybody here is so compassionate and open to listening to my thoughts and feelings and opinions. That’s pretty awesome. I used to keep everything bottled up. Being here has really helped me to open up.” Adam is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Mission by using his construction skills to take care of the building and the grounds around campus. “It’s really satisfying to be able to give back,” he said. “This place has helped us. The least we can do is to do a good job and do things right.” And today, his future looks bright. “Anything I do for the rest of my life is going to be centered around Christ.” Drew came to City Mission 3 months ago. After living in California for 20 years, he moved back to the area recently to help care for his mom, who is struggling with dementia. When she moved into a nursing home, he started drinking heavily and realized that he couldn’t stop on his own, so he went to rehab in Aliquippa. But that proved to be too far from his mom, so as soon as he could, he came to City Mission. And he visits her every chance he gets. “I’m really impressed with Drew’s dedication to visiting his mom,” said Boardley. Twenty-some years ago, Drew moved out to California to help get away from the influences that were leading him down the road to addiction. “It was a sort of geographical cure,” he explained. For the most part, it worked. He had some bumps along the way, but he was able to work and develop years of experience in construction while living in California. With a degree in Aeronautics and decades of experience in construction, Drew brings a well-rounded skills and knowledge base to the Maintenance crew. On June 25, Drew and Adam were both baptized at the Porter Pillow and Peggie Beaver-Pillow Chapel on City Mission campus. It was a life-changing moment for both of them. Eric, the third member of the Maintenance crew, has been at City Mission for just over three months. This is his second stay at the Mission. “I was successful when I left here the first time,” he said. “It wasn’t that it was unsuccessful. How many times to Peter deny Him? We all have faults. We all have setbacks.” After he left the Mission a few years ago, Eric ended up back in the Washington County Jail. While he was there, he attended every Bible study he could. “In jail,” he added, “the whole time I just felt this yearning to come back to the Mission and to be closer to God.” “It’s hard to even put into words how I feel about this place,” he said. “The Mission has helped me in the process of completely getting out of my own way. It’s given me an opportunity to figure out how to love other people. To take the focus off of myself and put it on others in a truthful way. Mercy is love in action. If I can show mercy to others, then I’ll receive mercy in return. I’m just trying to figure out how to do it on a daily basis. And whenever I’m here at the Mission, it’s not about me.” “Every job is important,” explained Boardley, “when you do it for the Lord. God has us all here at the Mission for a reason. It’s not a coincedence. This is our chance to honor God with our lives. And God is doing tremendous work here at the Mission – changing lives, reuniting families, and saving souls.” You can help further the ministry at City Mission. We need your help to do what we do every day. Visit citymission.org to find out how you can help.

"A Story of Love and Redemption"

June 29, 2023

A few months ago, Johnny, a former City Mission resident, traveled to Washington D.C., as an advocate for the homeless and low-income families, and spoke with a United States Senator about continued funding to help those in need. “It’s an honor to serve the homeless in this way,” Johnny said. He is the only advocate from Washington County who is a member of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition and the Pennsylvania Housing Alliance. “Four years ago, when I was sitting in a jail cell, I never thought I’d be in a US Senators’ office one day talking about the federal budget.” People can change. Johnny is living proof of that. Five years ago, his truck careened down the highway as he led police on a 63-mile car chase. His vehicle suddenly flipped over and crashed into the Ohio River Spillway. “God pulled me out of that truck,” Johnny said, recalling the terrifying moment. “That’s what saved my life. I know that may sound strange to some people. But it’s the only reason I’m still alive.” After he was captured by police, they took him to jail, and he was immediately drawn to the Bibles on the jail pod. He joined a Bible study group, and even when all the other guys fell away, he continued to wake up at 4:30 every morning to pray, read the Bible, and worship. “It just gave me this overwhelming peace that I’ve never known,” he explained. “It was really the first time I ever had a relationship with Christ.” The experience changed him. “I started to think for myself. I decided, no more drugs or gangs on the inside. And I just started changing. I started writing sermons and worship songs.” When he got out on parole in January of 2020, he came to City Mission, and he became a new person. Johnny was born and raised in and around Washington, PA, but he moved around a lot as a kid. “I’ve never lived in any one place more than two years, except for jail cells,” he explained. He and his brother were raised by a single mom. “She worked three jobs. She did the best she knew how to do,” he said. At age 6, he suffered childhood abuse, and he kept it a secret for 20 years. “I had a good life in some respects. I was never hungry. I always had clothes, but I had this secret,” he explained. “I never told anybody. I was too scared. One day, somebody asked me if I wanted to get high. I said sure. They were huffing gas. For a split second, I didn’t feel anything. All that fear was gone, and all I wanted was to be without fear.” He was eight years old. His life of addiction had already begun. He started huffing inhalants and abusing over-the-counter drugs. When he was just 10 years old, he went away to a mental hospital. He committed his first felony at 14. When he was 16, he dropped out of high school and moved into his own apartment near Washington & Jefferson College. He got a job and paid his rent and lived on his own. His life actually started to normalize a bit. Then, he met a girl and started drinking again. “I just thought I was normal. I was drinking, but everybody around me was drinking,” he said. “And I had a full-time job, so I didn’t think there was a problem. I didn’t understand addiction yet.” Then, when he was 18, he was in a horrific car wreck that left his entire lower body broken. He couldn’t work or even walk without assistance, so he moved back in with his mom. His then-girlfriend introduced him to some new drugs that helped him at the time to deal with the pain of his injuries, but his drug use created conflict with his mom. She kicked him out of the house as soon as he could walk again. “I deserved it,” he recalled. With nowhere to live, he moved in with his grandparents. When his grandmother, who had worked as a nurse at City Mission, passed away in 2006, Johnny moved to Florida. “I was just trying to run away from my problems,” he explained. He moved in with a cousin in Florida, but eventually, he wound up homeless. And in 2009, his addiction landed him in prison. He got out for 10 months and then went back to prison for another five years. In 2016, he got married and then moved to Florida with his family in 2018. He landed a great job. But it wasn’t long before he abandoned his wife, his two daughters, and his job to go get high. Once again, he ended up in prison. When he was finally paroled in 2020, he came to City Mission. It was early on in the Covid pandemic, and we were locked down to protect our residents. It was a difficult and isolating time for everybody, but for people in recovery, it was downright dangerous. When Johnny arrived, he poured himself into helping other people. “It was a rough on everybody,” he remembered. “I couldn’t see my kids. But I made sure we always had AA meetings running and that Zoom was always setup so people could join remotely. I made sure the women always had services on Wednesdays.” During that time, he also built a beautiful fountain behind the women’s shelter and planted rose bushes to help beautify the City Mission campus. The Mission turned out to be the perfect place for his recovery. The morning devotions, chapel services, and Bible studies stoked the fires of his newfound faith. The on-site recovery meetings helped him stabilize his addiction and find meaning and purpose in helping others. The Mission also connected him with a local therapist to address his childhood trauma and mental health issues. Since 2020, he has continued to stay clean, go to therapy, and take his medication. Additionally, the Mission provided a safe place for him to rebuild relationships with his wife and two daughters. And over time, he was able to reunify with his family. Today, they all live together, pray together, and worship together. Johnny has learned how to be the husband and father that they need. In September, Johnny and his wife will be renewing their vows. “My wife has endured,” he said. “Our story is a story of love and redemption, and together, that’s what we’re trying to give back to the world. God is guiding our family. All people are God’s people. So we just love everybody. All love, all ways—that’s our family motto.” When Johnny was preparing to move out of City Mission, he needed a job, so he connected with our Career Training and Education Center. He filled out 116 job applications before he finally got a job. “All people saw was who I was on paper. They couldn’t see beyond my past,” he explained. “But who I was when I was using and out on the street was completely different from who I ever was clean. I’ve never been violent. I was more of a coward than anything. Being at the Mission taught me how to be a man.” When he finally got his first job, there was much rejoicing at the Mission. At last, an employer saw who he was instead of who he used to be, and they gave him a chance to prove himself. It was a retail job, an industry he had zero experience in, but he worked there for just under a year before landing a job for an oil and gas company, where he worked there for one year, starting out as a shop hand and working his way up to valve technician, responsible for millions of dollars worth of inventory. Recently, City Mission hired Johnny as our new Work Readiness Coordinator. “I needed more fulfilment in my life,” he explained of his move to this new job at the Mission. “I love working in treatment. I love having the opportunity to just love people unconditionally until they can love themselves. God didn’t save my life and carry me through all these situations in my life for me to not give back and help others.” Johnny is a new man. He has a new life. He rebuilt relationships with his familiy. He surrounded himself with good people. He worked hard to make himself a better man, a better husband, a better father, a better son, a better friend to those in need. “City Mission saved my life,” Johnny said. “It taught me how to be a man so that I could in turn be the man for my family that they deserve. It taught me how to value myself and love myself and in turn helped me to love other people. City Mission not only saved my life, but they helped me put my family back together.” Give today to City Mission, and help residents like Johnny turn their lives around. Visit www.citymission.org

"Eternally Grateful"

May 17, 2023

Four years ago, Joe almost died. He was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. His pancreas was on the verge of exploding. The emergency room doctor told him if he had waited another day, he would be dead. “That was an eye opener for me to say the least,” Joe said. A week earlier, he got into a heated argument with the woman he was living with, so he left his home with nothing but the clothes on his back and all the cash he could carry. For the next week, he holed up in a hotel and nearly drank himself to death. “I probably would have, if I had more money,” he admitted. But he wasn’t exactly drinking liquor or beer. He was drinking mouthwash. The woman he was living with before he moved out had introduced him to drinking mouthwash, because it was so inexpensive and easy to access. “That was the beginning of my rock bottom,” Joe explained. After a weeklong bender at the hotel, he started feeling sick. The manager of the hotel took one look at him and called 9-1-1. “At the hospital, they took every fluid out of my body and tested it,” Joe recalled. Eventually, he was diagnosed with acute alcoholic pancreatitis and stayed in the hospital for seven days. After that, he checked into rehab…on his birthday. Ironically, it was on his eighteenth birthday, forty years earlier, when he took his first drink. He never had much adult supervision growing up. His parents were in their forties when he was born, so for the first three years of his life, he was raised by his older sister, who was only sixteen. His siblings were both grown and out of the house by the time he was in kindergarten, so he was raised for most of his life as an only child. “I was on my own for most of my life when I was growing up,” he explained. “It made me become very resourceful for myself. My parents didn’t want to be bothered, so I found my own way. And I found ways to entertain myself.” He worked hard at school and was a good kid, but when he turned eighteen, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He couldn’t afford college. So when his best friend showed up on the night of his birthday with a bottle of whiskey, he went along for the ride. They spent the night in a cave in the woods and got completely drunk. “That was my first step down the road to alcoholism,” he said. After graduation, Joe joined the Air Force and served a full term of active duty working in electronic communications, maintaining cryptographic equipment that scrambled and descrambled highly-confidential print messages and voice communications. To do this work, he had to gain top secret security clearances. “I could have walked into the White House and shook hands with the President if I wanted to,” Joe said. After the military, Joe floated through a host of other jobs including security at a college campus, being a mechanic at a quick oil change shop, a fabricator at a steel manufacturing plant, and a salesman for an insurance company. He also got married at one point. Tragically, his wife passed away from ovarian cancer only a few years into their marriage. All the while, Joe was using alcohol to escape the everyday problems and stressors of life. “I was basically killing myself for forty years,” he said of his alcoholism. “I felt like the alcohol helped me function, but in reality, it was hurting my functionality. I felt like I could do things better, but really it made things worse. It was hiding emotional pain – from my upbringing, from life in general, but it’s the aftermath of drinking where you pay for a few hours of feeling good. The problems you are trying to hide from are still there. The best way to deal with problems is to hit them head on.” After rehab, Joe finally decided to hit his problems head on. With nowhere else to go, he came to City Mission and lived for nearly four years at our Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House. During that time, he transformed his life. He got himself sober and connected to veterans’ services. “City Mission gave me an opportunity to take a step back from the world, to concentrate on myself and get my life back together,” he said. “Get the mental health treatments I needed. Go to meetings. An opportunity to refect on myself and stop beating myself up like I was 40 years.” At our Veterans House, Joe was surrounded by men he could talk to who understood his struggles and could relate to his problems in ways he had never really experienced before. “I can discuss veteran problems with the guys here that other people just don’t understand,” he said. “And I feel a lot better about being a veteran now than I did before I got here.” In additional to case management, recovery services, and emotional and psychological support, City Mission helped him with the fundamentals of independent living, like getting his Driver’s License back. “That was a big step for me to independence,” he said. “I didn’t like having to count on other people to take me everywhere. Tomorrow, I’m even going to look for a car of my own.” The Mission also helped him get a job that he loves at a local manufacturing plant. “It’s the kind of work I was born to do,” he explained. “They like me, and I like them, and I like the work I’m doing.” Now, Joe is working on moving out on his own, but he will never forget what the Mission has done for him to turn his life around. “I am eternally grateful to the Mission for giving me the time and resources to get myself back together again,” he said. I’m not stuck in my past anymore. Now, I just focus on what I have to do next.” Joe is not alone. Nearly seven percent of Pennsylvania’s veterans live in poverty, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates there are nearly 1,000 homeless veterans in Pennsylvania alone – though the number is likely much higher, since veteran homelessness is complex and difficult to track. City Mission is proud to provide food, shelter, resources, and hope to those who served our country. They served us. Let’s serve them. If you are or know a veteran who is homeless or in need, please call City Mission at 724-222-8530. If you would like to donate to our ministry, please visit https://give.citymission.org/for/citmis/info/preheader

"Everything Changed for Me"

December 8, 2022

Earlier this week, Jeremiah moved out of the Mission and into his very own place. Staff and residents prayed him out on Monday. On Wednesday, he started his new job on the Residential Support Staff at City Mission. Jeremiah came to us in June of 2022 from the Washington County Jail and stayed with us for 183 days. During that time, he worked on his recovery and eventually became a Resident Assistant, assisting the City Mission staff and mentoring the new residents at the Mission. “I really think he found his self-worth here,” said Brad Nelson, City Mission’s intake coordinator. “He found the person who God intended him to be.” One of Jeremiah’s favorite memories from his time here is when he was asked to join a team of staff and residents to help represent City Mission in a local 4th of July Parade. “That was a lot of fun,” he said. “You know, I spent time in jail, and I just thought people were always going to look at me like a convict. But people were happy to see us that day – happy to see me. It helped me realize that people can look at me differently.” “This place is amazing,” he said about City Mission. “The employees actually care about you from the moment you walk through the door.” “Everything changed for me since I came here,” he added. “My whole outlook changed. For the first time, when I look in the mirror now, I don’t see a convict or a loser or someone who’s gonna amount to nothing. I feel like I have a future. This place made me love myself. I’ve never felt that before. And if I just keep doing what I learned here, there are no boundaries for me in my future. This place has just opened up so many opportunities for me to help people. It’s unbelievable!”

"I Was Completely Broken"

October 27, 2022

As a little girl, Suzanne witnessed her father abuse her mother, and it terrified her. "He would throw her down the stairs, then yell at me for crying," she recalls. Her parents eventually separated, but the damage was already done. By the time Suzanne was in high school, both she and her mother were using alcohol and drugs to numb their emotional pain.Suzanne moved away at 21, longing to leave her past behind. but she, too, fell into an abusive relationship. "You say you're not going to follow the pattern, but somehow you do."The couple had a little girl who struggled with health challenges, so Suzanne quit her job to stay home with her, leaving Suzanne even more at the mercy of her controlling partner. When the toxic environment threatened her daughter's safety, too, Suzanne knew they had to leave, but she had no resources and nowhere to go. So we welcomed mother and daughter into our program. After all she'd been through, Suzanne had buried her faith. But with the guidance of our Christ-devoted staff, it began to resurface. "I used to question God, but now I know He has a plan.' Through classes and counseling, she's learning to live a healthy lifestyle and maintain her sobriety. And we're providing resources for the next steps toward independent living, including housing and assistance with her daughter's special needs. "I'm definitely healing and making a lot of progress," she said. "The Mission does so much for everyone who walks in the door," Suzanned says today. Most importantly, it is giving her the tools and opportunity to become a godly mother and role model for her little girl, breaking the cycle of abuse and addiction.Suzanne is excited to celebrate the restored hope she has been given this Christmas, and she wants you to know just how grateful she is. "I'm thankful to the Mission, because they have truly given me back my life."

Breaking the Cycle

October 20, 2022

When Matt was growing up, things were rough at home. He had 10 brothers and sisters and a stepdad who was not a nice man. “He put his hands on me,” Matt said. “And he beat my Mom.” His family struggled to make ends meet and didn’t ever have enough money to buy him new clothes or new shoes. When he was ten, he even came to City Mission with his Mom and stayed here for a few months until they could get back on their feet. “We were bouncing around from house to house and from shelter to shelter,” he recalled. “I remember being here and playing on the playground and running through the hallways.” But things weren’t just bad at home, they were rough at school too. Because his family didn’t have the money to buy him new shoes or clothes, kids teased him relentlessly and looked down on him. So he acted up in school, which made things even more difficult. “I was bad in school,” he admitted. “Read bad.” His only safe place was on the football field, where he played nearly every position on both sides of the ball. “That was my safe spot,” he explained. “I was a violent person, and football was a chance to get all my anger out from the stuff that was happening at school and at home.” When he was a Freshman in high school, coaches from Ohio State University’s football team, came to school and pulled him out of class. “They told me if I could keep my grades up, I could play for them when I graduated,” he said. Unfortunately, Matt dropped out of high school before he could graduate, and he never got to go to college. When he was a teenager, he started running the streets and making money illegally to help support his family. “My Junior year, I was in the streets. I didn’t have time for school no more.” Eventually, he was expelled from public school and sent to a nearby alternative school. “I went there for one day and never went back,” he explained. “I didn’t like it. I couldn’t do what I wanted. They were very strict.” By the time he was 18, Matt was arrested and sent away to prison for two years. He got out when he was 20, but he was arrested again just 10 days later. He spent two more years in prison. While he was in prison, he earned his high school diploma. But it was a hard time. “It’s hard because you miss the people you love,” he explained. “It’s hard to be away from them for so long.” When he was about to leave prison, he had to establish a home plan before he could be released. And the prison denied all of his proposed plans. They were being careful, because the last time he got out, he ended up right back in prison. But he had nowhere to go, so he called City Mission. House Coordinator, Doug Bush, answered the phone. Bush remembered his family from when they were at the Mission over a decade ago. He invited Matt into our program. “I would do anything for Doug,” Matt said. “He got me out of prison.” After his release this past August, he entered our program, and he has been living here ever since. “I ain’t ever going back to prison,” he said. He is doing things differently this time. He got an ID. He got a job. “I never had an ID. I never had a real job before. I’m going to keep it. I’m going to save my money.” But the biggest difference in his life this time around is that he’s a father now. He has a one-year-old daughter. “It changed my life,” he said of being a father. “I missed a lot with her, because I was in prison. I missed her birth. I missed her first steps. I missed everything. But I want things to be different. I want to do better for her.” Matt is determined to break the cycle and create a better life for his daughter than he ever had. “I want good things for her,” he said. “I want her to stay in school and go to college. Things I never had. I don’t want nothing but the best for her. And the best way for her to get that is for me to stay out of trouble.” And the Mission has helped him stay out of trouble. “Oh, I needed to come here,” he admitted. “They kept me on the right path. They gave me everything I needed. If I hadn’t come here, I probably would’ve done things I regretted.” He appreciates the chapel services and the meetings at City Mission. “I have a better connection to God than I ever have before,” he said. And even though he never had issues with addiction and never even tried a hard drug, the recovery meetings at the Mission have helped him a lot. “I love hearing other people’s stories. They’ve been through so much. I can relate to that. I feel like I’m not alone.” Matt is listening, learning, making friends, and growing closer to God. One day, he hopes to save enough money to buy a car and a house for his family. And he wants to travel. “I want to go everywhere,” he said. “I never left Washington except to go to prison. I’ve never been to the beach before. I want to go the beach.” You can help people just like Matt to turn their lives around. They just need a hand up, a hot meal, some encouraging words, and the redeeming love of Christ. Visit www.citymission.org.

Staff Spotlight

September 23, 2022

Five Fun Facts about Rich 1 He once had a dog named Moose. Moose was lab who loved children and loved going to work with Rich. “He was a greatest dog,” Rich said. “He was like a kid. The kids in my neighborhood thought he was a kid.” 2 He served in 2 different branches of the military. He joined the Navy for 4 years right out of high school as a jet mechanic. He was also a nurse and an officer in the Air Force. He was stationed in Korea. 3 He took flying lessons as a teenage and could fly a Cessna 150 at the age of 16. 4 He once caught 3 foul balls at a single Pirate game. 5 He lived in Nome, Alaska for 7 months in 2019. Short Bio Rich is our Medical Clinic Manager. He grew up on a farm in Waynesburg, PA. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Navy and learned to be a jet mechanic. After 4 years in the Navy, he became a Park Ranger in Fresno County, CA at the Las Padres National Forest. After 9 years of that, he went to EMT school. He worked for an ambulance company for 3 years. “That’s how I broke into medical life,” he explained. After that, Rich decided to move back home to Waynesburg, where he earned his Nursing Degree from Waynesburg University, and he has been a registered nurse for nearly 20 years. In July 2017, he was hired as our Medical Clinic Manager. “The most important part of my job here is welcoming people to the Mission, medically,” he said. “I complete a thorough medical evaluation when they get here, and I try to identify things that could hurt them in their recovery. And then I pass that on so we can all work together to help them overcome that and ultimately be successful in their recovery process.” "And two goals I have for every resident when they first get here," he added, "is to make sure they are connected with insurance and a Primary Care Physician." Rich currently lives in Charleroi with his wife, Sue. He likes to listen to Sirius Radio, and he hopes to one day become a Nurse Practicioner, so he can help the Mission do even more for our residents. Thanks, Rich, for your dedication to our residents and for everything you do for City Mission!!

"I'm Going Home"

September 1, 2022

“You can’t go forward until you fill in the gaps of your past,” said Wesley, a former City Mission resident, just one day before boarding a Greyhound bus to Phoenix, where he will meet his birth family for the first time. “I’m going home,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about the night sky out in the desert where there is very little light pollution. The first night I’m there, I may just camp out in my sister’s backyard and spend most of the night looking up.” Wesley was given up for adoption at birth and never met his birth family who lives on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in White River, AZ. “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times,” he said of his experience with his adoptive family in Northern Illinois. He was very close with his adoptive dad, but his mom and brother were angry alcoholics who took their anger out on him. He suffered physical and verbal abuse and was told over and over that he would never amount to anything and would always be stupid. “I was only 13 years old when it was at its worst,” he said. “I didn’t know how to reach out for help.” After high school graduation, he joined the Army and was stationed for 4 years at Fort Benning, GA as an Airborne Ranger. “I loved it,” he said of his time in the military. “I loved everything about it.” When his initial commitment was up, he decided to re-enlist. On the night before he was to be transferred to different army base, his friends threw him a going away party. “I call that my day of regret,” Wesley explained. A call from the police woke him up the next morning. He had no memory of it, but apparently, in a drunken stupor, he had punched out an Army officer the night before. He was discharged from the military and forced to return home to Latrobe, where he worked part-time jobs and amassed “countless public drunkenness charges.” Then his adoptive parents both passed away around the same time. His drinking became even worse. He couldn’t hold a job. Eventually, he had nowhere to go, and he ended up coming to City Mission for the first time in 2012. “Doug Bush was my rescuer,” Wesley recalled. “He motivated me and made sure I went to meetings.” Wesley only stayed for 40 days during his initial stay, but it made a big impact on him. About ten years ago, right around the time of his first stay at the Mission, Wesley began searching for his birth family. He started at the local public library, and his search led him to a private investigator who offered to take his case for free. She was able to locate his mom in White River, and she negotiated indirect contact between Wesley and his mother, who only spoke Apache, no English. At one point, the communication suddenly broke down, and Wesley was left with no answers. Undaunted, Wesley continued the search on his own. Eventually, he received a message through Facebook that someone knew his mother. Unfortunately, before he could make contact with her, his mother passed away. “I never got the chance to meet her,” he lamented. But through that contact, he discovered a revelation. He had 2 older sisters and a younger brother. One Sunday, just a few weeks ago, he received a call out of the blue. “I recognized the area code,” he explained. It was from White River. Ever since he found out his mother’s identity, he had been working with the Tribal Council there to learn about his family history and to be reinstated into tribe. So he picked up the phone. “Hi, I’m Sharon,” said the voice on the other end of the phone. “I’m your oldest sister.” They spoke on the phone for over an hour and shared their stories. “Do you want to come back home,” she finally asked him. “Yeah!” The very next day, he received an email from his sister with a bus ticket. “I’m finally going home,” Wesley said. “Where it all began.” On the phone with his sister, Wesley learned that his younger brother is an alcoholic, and he is still struggling. “I got a mission now,” Wesley said. “That’s the way for those in recovery -- to help one that is struggling. Others have been there for me. This is my time to give back.” Over the past 10 years, Wesley has stayed at the Mission six different times for a total of just over a thousand days. “Wesley has been talking about reuniting with his birth family as long as I’ve known him,” said Doug Bush, one of our House Coordinators in the Men’s Shelter. “It seems to have been the missing piece for him. He’s been looking for a sense of belonging. And that’s why he kept coming back to us.” “I can’t thank City Mission enough,” Wesley said. “They rescued me. They will always be a part of me. The Mission motivated me and taught me to be assertive. Without that, I probably never would have continued my search for my family.” Wesley also made some great friends during his time at the Mission. “I have supportive friends here,” he explained. “They’re proud of me. They threw me a party when I brought home my 1-year coin.” “He has good friends, because he is a good friend,” added Clayton, a fellow resident at the Mission and Wesley’s close friend. Wesley has been an integral part of the City Mission family, and we wish him the very best on his journey to get to know his birth family. Please join us in praying for Wesley on this new adventure. You can help dreams come true at City Mission. Visit www.citymission.org. “Five years from now,” Wesley said, “I hope to be on my own -- living happy, joyous, and free!”

Guadalupe Got Her Keys

Guadalupe and her family in their new apartment

August 26, 2022

Guadalupe got her keys! She and her son, Samson, and baby Esther moved into their very own place last week. Samson, 3, has lived in homeless shelters his whole life, and Guadalupe has never owned her own home before. When they moved into City Mission in December, Guadalupe was pregnant. In June, Baby Esther was born, and she became our youngest resident. Guadalupe, who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City had no friends or family in the area, so Sheila Namy, our Manager of Women and Children Services, went with her to hospital and stayed with her during her labor and delivery. “It was a joyful moment to watch baby Esther come into the world,” Namy explained. “I had tear-filled eyes, knowing that God had just formed a bond between this mom and child and that their lives, and mine, were forever changed by this day.” When Guadalupe finally got her home, the Jesus Fellowship church in Bethel Park volunteered to help her with her move. “The church really took her under their wing,” said Namy. “Guadalupe didn’t have to lift a finger. They went above and beyond.” Jesus Fellowship gave her all new rugs, towels, bedding, dishes, and everything else she would need to make her new home comfortable. They even purchased furniture at our City Mission Thrift Stores so the proceeds would come back to the Mission. Then, when the day of the move came, Jesus Fellowship showed up with trucks and manpower and moved in all her furniture and clothes and everything. They carried it all up three floors to her apartment and set it all up for her. “They even had family photos of Guadalupe and her children framed and hung up on the walls,” said Namy. “They even picked out a welcome mat for the front door that said, ‘I’m finally home.’ It was so touching, down to every detail.” When Samson came into the apartment for the first time, he ran from room to room, saying, “House! House!” And when he saw his new Paw Patrol bed, he jumped right in. “Guadalupe is just so grateful,” Namy explained. “She knows that it’s all a gift from God. She wants to live a new life. She wants to stay connected to the Mission. I see how much God has provided for her.” “God is within her,” she added. “She will not fail.” “I am thankful to the Mission because if I wasn't here, I don't know where I would be,” Guadalupe said of her time at the Mission. “And because they are so loving to my kids. Kids are so precious and pure. And when they are small, that's when they really have to flourish. And the Mission gave me a place to live and showed me a lot of grace and mercy when I was at my lowest.” Thank you, Jesus Fellowship, for helping Guadalupe and her family! You too can help those in need at City Mission. Visit www.citymission.org to learn more about ways to partner with us.

Feelin' Groovy

August 12, 2022

Last Tuesday, we held a tie-dye event for our residents. And it was groovy!! City Mission’s Manager of Career Services, Brianna Kadlecik, has hosted 5 tie-dye events for our residents over the past 3 years. “We started this event in 2020 as a way for our residents and staff to have fun during the COVID lockdown,” she explained. “It was suggested by one of our former residents.” Throughout the two-hour event, which was held under the pavilion outside of our Men’s Shelter, fifty-five residents and 13 staff participated in the event, making over 70 shirts. “There is so much joy and gratitude from the residents,” said Kadlecik. “They get excited when I announce sign-ups, and they have so much fun making their shirts. There is so much laughter during the event.” At City Mission, our residents are working very hard to turn their lives. This tie-dye event is a refreshing and necessary breather from all that intense self-reflection and hard work. “It’s just plain fun,” Kadlecik explained. “For many of our residents who are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol abuse, it is important for them to see that it is possible to have fun without being under the influence of a substance. It’s also an opportunity for some of our residents to get out of their comfort zones in a low-stakes way. You don’t need to have any experience to make a tie-dye shirt, and it’s a relatively easy and inexpensive activity for them to do in the future.” “It’s also beautiful to watch the kids making their shirts alongside their mothers,” she added. “Watching the family bond and make memories is so heart-warming. One of our goals as a Mission is to make this challenging experience of homelessness one of healing and restoration for the men, women, children, and veterans who live here.” Kadlecik hopes to continue hosting these events as long as our residents continue to show interest. “There are hours of preparation that go into this event, but each and every year the residents prove that it is 100% worth all the time and energy,” she said. “Every year, so many of the men, women and children, surprise me with their creativity and their gratitude.”

"It's Gonna Be Incredible"

Nico in his room at the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House

July 29, 2022

Nico, a 25-year-old Army veteran and current resident of our Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House, got a text recently from Washington and Jefferson College (W&J) with his letter of acceptance. “That was a really good day,” he said. “I literally jumped for joy. I was screaming as loud as I could and running up and down the hallway.” He ran out of the Veterans House and down our Freedom Path into the Men’s Shelter, where his Dad, Charles, is currently a resident. He found his Dad in the weight room and told him his good news. And father and son shared the moment that they had both been waiting for. “I had some definite doubts about getting in,” Nico said. “It’s kind of a miracle, actually, given how tragic my high school GPA was. I just never took it seriously. But everything just started coming together so perfectly. And I’m really excited about this new challenge. This is the starting point for me to become the man I desire to be.” Nico came to City Mission a couple of months ago. His Dad, who was already a resident here, told him about the veterans program. “Come up here and get your life together,” his Dad told him. Nico decided to give it a shot. When he came to the Mission, he met our Manager of Veterans Services, Steve Adams, who is a veteran and a former resident at City Mission. “He’s incredible,” Nico said of Adams. “Ever since I got here, he has taken me under his wing. He's shown me everything I need to do to set myself up for success.” When Nico told Adams that his ambition was to become a Radiologist and that he was interested in attending nearby W&J College, Adams immediately got on the phone with Dr. Michael Crabtree, a City Mission Board Member and Psychology Professor at W&J whose name adorns our Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House as an ardent supporter of our veterans program. “Steve Adams is so committed to his role and to helping every single one of the veterans,” Dr. Crabtree explained. “He has a passion for helping them achieve their goals, and he always knows how to help and who to contact.” Dr. Crabtree contacted the W&J admissions office on Nico’s behalf to help with the application process and to let them know some of Nico’s unique characteristics. “Nico represents the best of what comes out of City Mission,” he explained. “He is going to take the support he gets from City Mission and use it to move on to something exciting that represents a real opportunity for him. Nico is going to need all the tools that he gains at City Mission to face the challenges ahead and to have the resilience to push through. I have no doubt he will be successful given what he has already accomplished.” When Dr. Crabtree, who just so happens to be the academic mentor for the W&J wrestling team, found out that Nico was interested in joining the team, he wasted no time in connecting him with Head Wrestling Coach, Tommy Prairie. Coach Prairie gave Nico a tour of campus and assisted him through the application process. “The main thing that we look for in the W&J Wrestling program are passionate and driven individuals that want to be successful in all aspects of their lives,” said Prairie. “From my interaction with Nico, it’s clear he is not our typical freshman, but you can tell that he has a drive to improve his life and set himself up for the future.” “My number one goal for Nico,” he added, “is to see him graduate in four years with a skillset to be successful going forward in all aspects of his life. Every achievement on the mat is a bonus.” Nico is primed for this new challenge in his life. “This is going to take real discipline,” he explained, “a discipline I don’t think I’ve shown in my life yet. But I know it’s there. And that’s why I’m taking on this challenge. It’s gonna be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but it’s gonna be incredible to see it happen. I can’t wait.” “I am thankful to the Mission,” he added, “because, no matter all the mistakes that I've made, I'm forgiven, and I'm able to start new.” Real life change is possible. It happens here at City Mission. You can be a part of these everyday miracles by helping us turn our residents’ dreams into reality. www.citymission.org.

"I Have a Future!""

July 22, 2022

C.J. first came to City Mission in 2018 and stayed for a year before moving out on his own. He was doing great until the COVID pandemic wreaked havoc in his life. “During COVID, life showed up and things got very difficult, like, very difficult,” C.J. explained. “I ended falling back into the drugs again.” He went to rehab and then came back to City Mission for a second stay in November of last year. “I think it’s important to recognize that when CJ needed somewhere safe to come, somewhere he was going to be loved and accepted for who he is, he showed up here,” said Brad Nelson, City Mission’s Intake Coordinator. “The Mission provided an environment for CJ to become the person God’s true will intended him to be.” When C.J. came back to the Mission, he was welcomed back with open arms and with nothing but love at a time when he needed it most. “If I hadn’t come back to the Mission,” he explained, “I might not be alive today. Before I came to the Mission I was just lost, spiritually broken, with no hope at all. You know, I knew exactly where it was going, and I was just scared because I didn't wanna die.” C.J. grew up in Johnstown, PA. He was raised by his grandmother, because his mother was an addict, and his father was never really around. He had a good childhood. His grandmother raised him and his siblings in the church. But in 11th grade, he started getting into trouble. “That's when my life really took a whole different turn, because I started to give up then, you know,” C.J. explained. “I got hooked on the streets. I started drinking, smoking weed, and selling drugs. That’s when it all started.” C.J. graduated from high school and bounced around from job to job for a while. Then, in 2010, his life really took a turn for the worse. He lost his mom, his grandmother, his grandfather, and his sister all within the span of less than two years. From then, his life started to spiral. “It just went crazy,” he said. “I used to use the death in my family as an excuse for me to act out. I turned to drugs, like, heavy drugs, and I started getting into trouble. I ended up going to jail.” When he got out of jail, he just went right back into the same mess he was in. “I was staying out in the streets, sleeping on back porches, and stuff like that,” he explained. And then one day, he just got tired of it. C.J. also has four kids, and his lifestyle was keeping him from being the father he wanted to be. He came to City Mission and started working on himself and trying to turn his life around. Now, he goes to meetings and participates in mental health counseling and drug and alcohol counseling. He found a church home that he loves. “Before I came to the Mission, my biggest challenge was myself. I was fighting demons, you know,” he said. “But today, I have a relationship with God again that’s very strong and deep. I can actually see the light again, like I have a future… I always looked at negative things, you know, and I see different now. I don't think the same way I used to think. I don't act the way I used to act. “I'm thankful for the Mission because I have a life today. I have a future, and they provided that for me here when I didn't think it was possible. But it is possible, and if I can do it, anybody else can do it, because I've been through the pits, and I've been to dark places where there was no light at all.” Recently, C.J. moved out of the Mission again and into his own place. Within a week after moving, the Mission hired him as a full-time Recovery Support Staff member, setting an example for the residents and helping to maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment. “CJ went through our Resident Assistant program and was a phenomenal example for the new residents coming into gateway,” said City Mission Director of Residential Programs, Leah Dietrich. “He encouraged them and was there to listen and to guide them towards recovery. He has such a heart for people and that love and light in his smile is inspiring!” You can help make stories of life transformation, like C.J.’s, come alive at City Mission. Give today at: www.citymission.org.

Welcome, Baby Esther

July 15, 2022

“My grandmother was my mom because my mom was on drugs,” said Guadalupe. “My grandmother was very abusive, physically and verbally. And she didn't know how to express her emotions properly, so she kinda took all that anger out on me and my sister. So I grew up a very rebellious kid, because I didn't know how to cope with all the anger that I had built in me.” Guadalupe was born in the Dominican Republic. She moved to New York City when she was 9. By age 13, she was in the foster care system. At age 18, she met her first abusive boyfriend. She ended up getting into drinking and drugs. After suffering through several abusive relationships and getting pregnant with her second child, she decided to move out of New York and find a better environment to raise her young family. She and her three-year-old son, Samson (who has lived his entire life in homeless shelters), came to the Mission in December. She was pregnant with her second child and determined to break the cycle of abuse and addiction in her family and create a better life for her children. “It’s such an honor and privilege to be witnessing her transformation and her growth as a mother, of now 2 children,” said Sheila Namy, City Mission’s Manager of Women and Children Services. “When Guadalupe first came to the Mission, she had built a wall around herself and was in a very protectant mode of survival with her child. She didn’t want to let anyone in or get close to her.” On June 21, Guadalupe’s daughter, Esther, was born. Since she had no supportive friends or family in the area, she asked Namy to accompany her to the hospital and be with her during the labor and delivery. “In my 7 years at the mission, this just might be the most memorable moment,” said Namy. “It was a very special day. I found myself in awe of the miracle of life and childbirth.” The two of them laughed and cried together. They read scripture and played Gospel music until it came time for baby Esther to arrive. “It was a joyful moment to watch baby Esther come into the world,” Namy explained. “I had tear-filled eyes, knowing that God had just formed a bond between this mom and child and that their lives, and mine, were forever changed by this day.” “Before I came to the Mission, I was a lost soul,” said Guadalupe. “I am grateful for this place because it's leading me to where I'm supposed to be in life. it's preparing me by giving me a sense of structure and having me focus on my spiritual life and being a good parent to my kids – not like my parents were to me. And it’s helping me become an independent person so I could provide for my kids.” Guadalupe is enjoying being a mother and building a bond with her family. She loves going to Mommy and Me classes and story time at the library. She loves spending time outside with the other mothers at the Mission and building relationships. She hopes to get into her own home soon with her children, and she dreams of one day working for City Mission or being an art teacher or art therapist. “I am thankful to the Mission because if I wasn't here, I don't know where I would be,” she said. “And because they are so loving to my kids. Kids are so precious and pure. And when they are small, that's when they really have to flourish. And the Mission gave me a place to live and showed me a lot of grace and mercy when I was at my lowest. When I was learning to let go of those bad habits.” Currently, our women with children shelter is at capacity, and there are struggling families getting the help they need. If you want help these families at City Mission, you can donate at www.citymission.org. “God shows us mercy and gives us help all the time, regardless of who we are and what we do,” said Guadalupe. “And He teaches us to do the same for others. Whenever there are others are in need, we should give.”

Tammy and Richard Get Their Keys

June 24, 2022

Tammy and her son, Richard, recently moved out of City Mission and into their very own place. Tammy first came to the Mission in November of last year from a drug treatment facility. When Tammy came to the Mission, she made it her purpose to regain custody of her son, who had been in the foster system for several years. While staying with us, she worked very hard on her drug and alcohol recovery, earned resume-building certificates at our Career Training and Education Center, and learned soft job skills while working in our Samaritan Care Center – all in an effort to not only better herself but also to reunite with her son. And all of her hard work finally paid off. “I’ll always remember the excitement Tammy had when she came to my office and told me that CYS was placing her child back with her full time,” said Sheila Namy, the Manager of our Women and Children Program. “I had never seen her smile so big as in that moment!” Richard, age 7, moved in with his Mom at our Women with Children Shelter and made himself right at home. “My favorite memory of Richard,” added Namy, “is of him walking around in the shelter dressed like one of the ghostbusters making sure the shelter was safe from ghosts.” Recently, Namy took Tammy and Richard to see their new home, and all three were overwhelmed with emotion. “When I walked with Tammy and Richard up to their new apartment,” said Namy, “and heard her exclaim that she’d never in her life had a place of her own and Richard was running around and around in the yard with excitement as he looked around at his new neighborhood. It’s moments like that that make every long workday so worth it!” So Tammy and Richard are starting a new chapter in their life, and they’re doing it together. The staff and residents of our Women with Children Shelter, prayed over them as they packed up and moved to their very own place for the first time together. “Our Mission family is really gonna miss them,” added Namy, “but we’re so happy they’ve found a new home.” When Tammy reunited with her son, Richard, it was a dream come true. Your support made it possible. Visit www.citymission.org to see how you can help make miracles happen at City Mission.

"I Serve a Merciful God"

June 2, 2022

Ed never touched any kind of drug until he was 50 years old. And then, in just 18 months, his sudden addiction destroyed a 30-year career and a 28-year marriage. He had a beautiful home, a loving family, and a very successful career in the tire industry. But it was a very stressful job. He also had serious health problems kick up along with some unresolved childhood trauma that was resurfacing, and he was burnt out. One day, one of his co-workers offered him something to help him relax. Ed took his first ever hit of a drug and said, “Where have you been all my life.” He gave his wife and daughter the house and made sure they had enough money. Then, he spent everything else he had on drugs. He was stuck in active addiction for 18 months. It ruined his life. Ed was born in Italy. His father was an Army Officer, and his family moved every few years. Tragically, Ed’s childhood was wracked with physical and mental abuse, creating trauma that would stay with him for the rest of his life. After graduating from Bishop-Canevin High School, he went to college at Wheeling University. A few years later, the owner of a local, independent tire company took him under his wing and taught him the business from the ground up. Eventually, Ed was running the whole business. He expanded the company from 6 locations when he started working there to 23 locations by the time it was sold to a national chain. After his initial, 18-month burst of drug abuse, he got clean and stayed clean for 12 years. He worked odd jobs and sustained his recovery even though he never fully worked the steps. “I thought I was connected with a God of my understanding,” he remembered. “But I never really gave my will over to Christ.” He relapsed in 2019 and then again in 2021. “2021 was a disastrous year,” he explained. “I was in a pit. I cried out to God. I just wanted to deaden my pain and forget.” He wanted to die. He went on a bender with the intention of blowing out his heart, and he ended up in the hospital for several weeks on suicide watch. When he got out of the hospital, he came to City Mission, and it was difficult at first. “I had no idea what to expect,” he admitted. And his past abuse bubbled to the surface yet again. “All men spooked me,” he said. His father had abused him for six years, so living in a men’s shelter was very challenging. “But what I found here when I came was an extremely organized program,” he added. “And the building is cleaner than most hospital rooms. Being here isn’t a consequence like I had originally thought. It’s a blessing. I’m overwhelmed with everybody on staff. They all know the Scriptures so well. It’s unfathomable to me at times. The staff here has been instrumental in helping me shape my understanding of the Bible and my relationship with God.” “Before I came to the Mission, I had no money,” he explained. “I was spiritually void. I had no place to live. I had suicidal thoughts, and I was taking the cowardly way out by using. But the best decision God made for me is when he directed me here. I know now that I can’t live my will anymore. I have to live in God’s will. And I profess that in my life.” At City Mission, Ed has turned his life around. He realized the importance of giving back. “The guys who are successful in this program are good at giving back,” he said. “I want to be of service and give back what the Mission has given to me.” Ed has become our librarian at the City Mission Library in Memory of Saige Knapp, where he keeps the books organized and manages the lending and return of books. “It’s wonderful,” Ed said of his time at the library. “The Mission trusts me to keep everything organized. And it’s quiet here. It can get noisy upstairs in the dorms. A little peace and quiet is a really important thing.”

"Part of the Family"

May 26, 2022

“I love you guys,” City Mission’s Work Readiness Manager, Matt Dorn, told a group of residents as he closed the sliding door of the City Mission van before it pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the road to our Vocational Training Center. Part of Matt’s job at the Mission is to get the residents off to their work readiness assignments every morning. “There is so much love here at City Mission. That’s why it works,” he said. “They love you from the gate no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done. They love you until you can love yourself. That’s what the Mission gave to me, and that’s what I want to give back to these guys.” In 2017, Matt was homeless. His parents had divorced when he was young, and he ended up being on his own at a young age, which left him with abandonment issues. So he always worked very hard to fit in. For him, that meant parties. At one point, he had a very successful job at a bank in his hometown of New Kensington. He had a good education, a good job, and he owned his own home. But his house quickly became the party house for him and his friends, and he began to fall deeper and deeper into drugs. Eventually, his drug use spiraled out of control and ruined all the good things in his life. He lost everything, and he ended up living on the streets. He would sleep at a 24-hour grocery store and steal cough syrup to stave off withdrawal symptoms. “For 8 years, I was in a fog,” he said. “I was just existing.” He went to rehab many times, but it never took. He even ended up spending time in jail for retail theft. “You’re not going to quit until you’re ready,” he explained. “Jesus has to look down on you and give you the grace to quit.” He was miserable and alone on the streets of New Kensington, so he moved to Pittsburgh and lived in a homeless community downtown, where his addiction actually escalated. At one point, Matt went into a porta-potty by himself to do drugs, and he got stuck there for 9 hours, because he was convinced that a bunch of people were waiting outside to attack him. Matt knew he needed to change his life. Finally, he came to the Mission in August of 2017, and the love City Mission poured out on him helped him change his life. Through the work readiness program at the Mission, Matt was introduced to Dave Foster, who at that time was the Mission’s kitchen supervisor. “In my early days at the Mission, I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t want to live,” Matt remembered. “But Dave Foster helped me care about life again. He taught me how to be a man and to build healthy boundaries. I’ll never forget it. I can never pay him back. I get emotional just talking about it.” It was the Mission’s work readiness program and the relationships he built through the program that started to turn Matt’s life around. And now, ironically, he is running the program. “I truly believe in my heart that God led me here,” he said. “I want to give back the way Dave Foster gave back to me when I first got here.” Since coming to the Mission, Matt has also met the love of life, Becky, and they are now happily married. City Mission also helped her when she was in need. She is now on staff at the Mission as well, and they are both giving back and showing love to those who are too hurt to love themselves. In addition to managing the Work Readiness program, Matt also runs our eBay Thrift Store, case manages a group of residents, and teaches three classes per week at City Mission. Becky is our RSS Supervisor for our Women and Women with Children shelters, and she also is the Intake Coordinator for those shelters as well. “The Mission saved my life two times,” Matt said. “Everyone on staff wants to help you. Everyone shows you love. It’s a family. I feel like part of the family.” You can become part of the City Mission family too. Visit www.citymission.org to see how you can partner with us or contact us at 724-222-8530 if you need help like Matt did.

City Mission's Poet Laureate

Randy reading a poem at City Mission Chapel

March 18, 2022

The first time I ever saw Randy, he got up during one of our regular, Monday morning chapel services and read a poem out loud in front of the whole Mission – staff and residents. The first thing I noticed about him was his confidence. He maybe wasn’t confident about every aspect of his life. I’m sure he had regrets and doubts about himself. He had a difficult life. He had been to jail. He had struggled with drug addiction and had hurt people who cared about him. But when he stood up there at the City Mission podium with his worn notebook of handwritten poetry, he just knew somehow that, in that moment, he was exactly where he was supposed to be. And he started to rattle off some soul-bearing poetry. And everyone started bobbing their heads – not just to the beat of his words but also to their truthfulness – in recognition that he was putting into words something that we all already knew and felt but had no words for. And we could all see that he was a kindred spirit. He had loved and lost. He had laughed and cried. He was striving and hoping for peace in this life. And when he was done, he walked back to his seat and sat back down with the rest of us – just like that. And I said to myself, “who is that guy?” Randy came to the Mission in June of last year from a drug and alcohol treatment center, and he made an instant impression. "Randy was willing to do anything for anyone at any time," said City Mission House Coordinator, Doug Bush. "He was particularly noted for sticking up for the weaker or sicker man." He grew up in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. He was raised by a single mother, and he started using drugs when he was just 9 years old. He had a rough life with plenty of bumps along the way. But when he finally committed his life to Christ, he started writing poetry. And he discovered some new and exciting part of himself that had been buried deep inside. And for as long as he was here at the Mission, every Monday at our weekly chapel service, he would go up to the podium with his worn notebook and lay down some beautiful and powerful poems that left us all speechless. Tragically, on Thursday, December 2 of last year, Randy passed away while on a home pass to attend his mother's funeral. But we at the Mission will never forget him or his poetry. This is what Wayne Heckman, our Manager of Men’s Services had to say about Randy, “Randy was beloved by both City Mission residents and staff. He served admirably as a Resident Assistant in the Men’s Program and was a stalwart presence in the kitchen where he prepared meals for our community. Randy was a great example to the community, and he was a brother in Christ. Randy had a great sense of humor, and often had words of wisdom to share, even in casual conversation. He was also a poet whose verse both inspired and encouraged members of our campus. His influence upon his fellow residents and staff will continue to be felt long past the present.” “Since I’ve been here at the Mission, God has been so good to me,” Randy once told me. “I’m surrounded by a great staff team who wants the best for me. I know I have a lot of work that must still be done, but I’m confident now that God has called me his son.” We miss you, Randy! Here is one of his electrifying poems… Can’t Pay You Back So this was the price you had to pay for me To be with me. To save and redeem me. You laid down here for me. Hung here for me. Died for me? You laid down here for me as they laughed at you? You laid down here for me as they nailed you, impaled you? You laid here as nails cut you? Pierced you? You laid down here for me? You hung here for me as your breath wouldn’t come and the blood wouldn’t stop. And nails and nails. You still are God, and could have come down and made the pain stop and the laughing stop. But you hung here for me. Died here for me, and I don’t have to pay you back? You’re doing all this for me? This for me as I robbed, stole, and cheated. As I lied, conned, and mistreated? You’re doing this for me after all the drugging and drinking? After all the lame excuses and not thinking? After going in and out of jail for all my wrongs. Leaving the house in the morning, staying out all night long. After all the times I left my wife alone. After all the opportunities and jobs I have blown. After getting two women pregnant at the same time? Gave up drinking water for a bottle of wine? After putting a gun in a man’s face? And got away without a trace? As I ripped and ran and didn’t care. Wouldn’t stop for you – like you weren’t even there. And you still doing this for me? Well…Father, the only thing I can say is, thank you for all you have done. And I’m humbled and grateful to be your son. Amen.

Walk with the King

February 4, 2022

“The desire in my heart is to help women in addiction and to let them know that there is help, and with Christ, all things all possible,” said Nettie Ledbetter, our Manager of Single Women Services, who passed away suddenly in her home last Saturday. Miss Nettie spent nearly 20 years serving at City Mission after finding hope here as a resident in 2001. She truly was an inspiration to all of our staff and residents, and she will be desperately missed. Nettie once said that when she first came here from a treatment center, lost and confused, 21 years ago, City Mission was able to love her before she was able to love herself, and that is exactly what she spent her life giving back to every single lady who walked through the doors of City Mission – unconditional love. She believed that when a woman came to the Mission broken and battered that the staff here could love her back to life. “Just to see the faces of the ladies light up,” she said in an interview in 2018, “after knowing that there are people who care and love them regardless of where they come from or the mistakes they’ve made or the grief that they have in their lives.” Catherine Plunkett came to City Mission in 2018 and lived for a time in our Single Women’s Shelter. She now works as the Receptionist at the Mission. She is one of the countless women who Miss Nettie helped to love back to life. “There is definitely something special about Miss Nettie,” she said. “I felt it through the phone during my intake interview while I was still in rehab. Before I even laid eyes on her, I could tell that she was someone who gives hope. During my time as a resident at City Mission, Miss Nettie helped me to trust and believe that I am worth it. Later on, as an employee of the Mission, I didn’t see her every day, but when I did, she would always have a smile on her face and greet me with, “Hi sweetie!”, which always warmed my heart. She was truly one of kind.” And if you ever had the privilege to meet Nettie, then you know exactly how her smile could light up your heart and make you feel loved. What a blessing she was to our staff, residents, and community! She gave her heart so freely and effortlessly to everyone she encountered, and everyone she ever met is better for it. There is no doubt that Nettie is rejoicing right now in the presence of our Savior. She is walking with the King! And we are all hurting now at her loss, but there will come a day when we will see her again and join her in rejoicing!

"God is the Answer!"

January 11, 2022

Christian grew up in a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood. His parents worked hard to give him a good life. “I had a very privileged childhood,” he explained. “I always had nice clothes. Nice things. I didn’t appreciate the things my family did for me. I was blessed, and I didn’t even see it.” Then, when he was in ninth grade, his parents divorced, and his life changed. His relationship with his family became strained, and he stopped going to church. When Christian was 18, his Dad kicked him out of the house – just a few months after his experimentation with drugs began. For two years, he lived with friends, sleeping on couches and in garages. He never had to sleep outside or on the street, but he was without a home for two years. “My Dad is my rock,” Christian said. “I may not always agree with him, but I love him for who he is. I understand now that he kicked me out of the house so I could learn to become an adult. I just wasn’t ready back then.” On January 2, 2020, Christian eventually ran out of options, and he decided to come to the Mission. He was only twenty years old. When Christian first moved into the Mission, it was a difficult transition. “When I first came here, it was very scary,” he said. “There was no one here my age. They’re all older. I used to hate being here…” “But,” he continued after some thought. “Being here at such a young age has been a blessing for me. It’s a miracle, actually. City Mission changes you. It changed me a lot. I’m all around a better person. I’ve been able to build trust again and re-build relationships. And I learn more about who I am every day. It’s an everyday process. A never-ending process.” At the Mission, Christian keeps himself busy. Now almost 23 years old, he still works at the same restaurant he started working at when he was 16 – starting out as a dishwasher and working his way up to cook. He is also studying Culinary Arts at Pittsburgh Technical College. He bought a car, which allows him to drive to work and to school. And he volunteers once a week at the Mission, riding on the Mission truck and picking up donations. He is also pursuing an interest in photography and even entered a local art show this past summer. Additionally, he deepened his relationship with God and committed himself to a life of following after Christ. And recently, his Section 8 paperwork came in, so he is working toward getting his own place. “Going to school. Going to work,” he said. “Getting up at 6am every day. It’s stressful to be a 22-year-old working on myself. But I’m blessed that the Mission looks at me like I’m 22. They don’t treat me like a child, but they look at me like I’m growing, and I love that!” “If I didn’t come to the Mission, I wouldn’t have gotten a car,” he shared. “I wouldn’t have gone to school. I don’t know where I’d be. I tell my friends to come here. A lot of people need this place -- if you feel like you need a change, if you need some structure.” “This place gives you structure, positivity, and God,” he added. “A lot of people need that. Drugs are not the answer. God is the answer!” You can help Christian and others like him at City Mission turn their lives around. Please give today and help transform another life. https://www.citymission.org/ways-to-help/donate#donate-money

A Complete Transformation

October 9, 2021

Raised in a dysfunctional family and eventually placed in foster care, Autumn struggled with anxiety that made it difficult for her to build healthy relationships and develop important life skills. When she had three children of her own and she and her husband separated, she needed some help to care for her little ones by herself. Living in an area plagued with poverty and crime, her anxiety escalated, and she began using alcohol to ease her despair. Soon, it became clear that her destructive habit only made her family’s situation worse. “I was really in a dark place. It was like a dark cloud was over me and my kids. I needed a drastic change,” she said. “But I knew moving to a different neighborhood wouldn’t be enough.” When her aunt suggested she seek help at City Mission, “I put the kids in the car and drove straight to Washington.” When she got to the Mission, she sat down for an intake interview with House Coordinator, Nettie Ledbetter, and she immediately knew she had made the right decision. “When I got here, it was awesome,” she explained. “Even just when I sat in the office with Ms. Nettie, I was like, I know I’m gonna be ok.” After just a month in our program, Autumn’s life has changed dramatically. Bible study, chapel services, and spiritual guidance are bringing her closer to God and helping her heal emotionally. Through life-skills classes like budgeting, along with duties in our donation center, she’s becoming more responsible and learning new ways to cope. “They’re not doing it for me,” she said, “they’re giving me the tools and resources I need to walk on my own.” Most importantly, she’s becoming the loving mother and role model for her children she never had as a child. “I’ve seen a huge transformation in my kids since being here, and it’s really rewarding,” she explained. While Autumn isn’t yet sure what the future holds, she looks forward to holding a steady job, living independently, and providing a safe and stable life for her children. She has also vowed to continue her walk with the Lord. “I really feel like God guided me here,” she said. “And I’m thankful, because looking back, He has never given up on me, and I can be pretty stubborn and hardheaded and wanting to do things on my own. But I have a lot more faith now – faith that if you do the work and do the right thing, a lot of good things come to you and a lot more people are drawn to you. You get that positive space of wanting to grow and wanting to change.” This year, it will be a Christmas filled with joy for Autumn and her children, and she’s grateful to you for this wonderful gift of a new beginning. “City Mission saved my life,” she said. “It made me a better person and a better mother. By the time I leave here, it will be a complete transformation.”

From Homeless to Hero

November 17, 2021

According to Joseph Campbell, the late professor and author of The Hero With a Thousand Faces, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” The heroes we read about in books or watch in movies are simply pictures of that heroic spirit that lies somewhere within all of us. Those heroes represent our collective search for what it really means and what it takes for a human to give themselves to something greater. But real heroes are actually all around us, and I have found that they show up in the unlikeliest places. The battles that our homeless residents at City Mission fight every day require true courage. During my three years here, working alongside our residents, I have seen that heroic spirit in more ways than I have in my entire life. It continually amazes me how their recovery requires heroic effort, sacrificing themselves in order to restore hope, purpose, and strength in their lives. Even the second step of the Alcoholics Anonymous’ twelve-step program (“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”) requires you to begin living for something greater. I am convinced that the path our residents take from brokenness to independence is the Hero’s Journey. The Ordinary World Every hero’s journey begins in the place he or she knows and understands the best – a place that feels normal and predictable. The story of Moses, for example, in the book of Exodus, finds Moses in a place of relative comfort and predictability in the mountainous, desert region of Midian. He is performing the very ordinary task of shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep. He has a wife and at least two children. He has built an ordinary life for himself in an ordinary place. For many of us, the ordinary world we grew up in elicits happy, nostalgic feelings and memories. Some of us, perhaps, never leave our ordinary world precisely because it is so pleasant and comfortable. Unfortunately, for many of our residents at City Mission their ordinary world is filled with chaos, violence, and addiction. Sadly, that world becomes normal, predictable, even comfortable for them. A large percentage of City Mission residents are in drug and/or alcohol recovery, and at one time in their lives, drugs became a kind of saving grace, the only thing perhaps that got them from day to day – an integral part of what makes their ordinary world feel normal. “Addiction is a dark, comfortable place,” explained Rob, a former City Mission resident. “You know what it feels like, so you’re ok with it. Change is the scary thing, especially if you don’t know how.” According to Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction, an article produced by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Over time, if drug use continues, other pleasurable activities become less pleasurable, and the person has to take the drug just to feel ‘normal.’” Eventually, drug use can become the defining characteristic of what “ordinary” feels like to a user. It alters your perspective so that the drug becomes your new normal. On their website, alcoholrehab.com, the American Addiction Centers explain that, “The life of an addict can be terribly miserable, but it is familiar,” and “there is comfort in the familiarity…Those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs can find it almost impossible to imagine how they can possibly live without these substances.” “All of our residents can remember a time when their addiction helped them,” said Paul Granger, City Mission’s former Manager of Men’s Services. “We’re all trying to find our shield or our helmet that’s going to protect us against this world that hurts us.” Unfortunately, many people turn to drugs and alcohol, because it can be a temporary escape from the challenges and the trauma of their reality. Many, like Rob, use opioids and other drugs as armor against physical pain. Rob suffered severe complications after gastric-bypass surgery. When his prescription ran out, he was already addicted. He turned to street drugs to numb the pain. Others, like Tara, another former City Mission resident, turn to drugs to escape psychological and emotional pain. She grew up in fear of her father. “I really didn’t have a childhood,” she explained. “My Dad took that from me. He was very abusive, mentally. And physically with my Mom and sister. He could put the fear of God in you with just a look, because we knew how crazy he was.” Lance Dodes M.D., in his article The Psychology of Addiction for Psychology Today, explains, “Every addictive act is preceded by a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness…Addictive behavior functions to repair this underlying feeling of helplessness. It is able to do this because taking the addictive action (or even deciding to take this action) creates a sense of being empowered--of regaining control--over one's emotional experience and one's life.” For far too many, drugs and alcohol become normal life, a kind of armor that protects users from the day-to-day trials and tribulations of life. Drugs start out as a solution. It’s only over time that they become the problem – an even more devastating problem than the original one users were trying to escape. The Unknown The absolute most crucial step in the hero’s journey, the one that all heroes must undertake, the step that in many ways defines a hero, is crossing the threshold into the unknown. When Moses encounters the burning bush, he suddenly has an important decision to make, a decision that will ultimately impact the world for thousands of years to come. He can either stay in the comfortable little cocoon he is currently living in where everything is safe and predictable, or he can venture off into the wilderness of the unknown where life is dangerous, and the future is uncertain. If he chooses to stay in Midian, then he never really becomes a hero. He must set out on the path to Egypt before his life can take a heroic turn. Similarly, our residents at City Mission must leave behind the very thing that makes them feel normal and venture off into the unknown of recovery and life transformation. The hero must find the courage to step outside of the life cycle he is stuck in. He must leave behind his addiction, the very thing that makes him feel safe and normal. “It’s a paradox,” explained Granger. “Everything our residents think they need, they need to risk giving that stuff up. And now they have to walk through this world without any armor, without those things that had always protected them. Being caught in that struggle is the essence of life. I respect that immensely. It takes an enormous amount of courage to trust that you can live a different life through this process when everyone and everything in your life is telling you the opposite.” Rob had been to rehab many times, but he didn’t really want to change. His addiction was the last thing he wanted to let go of. “I was a rehab Rockstar,” he said. “I was never a troublemaker. I knew how to play the game.” Because of his addiction, he lost everything – his family, his house, his job. He was evicted from his apartment and living on the street, thinking about how he had become the hobo he remembered laughing at as a child. For him, it was scarier to give up his addiction than it was to be homeless. Pete is another former resident and staff member at City Mission. At one time, he owned his own business. He had a nice house, a nice car, and a family. But he was an alcoholic. His drinking nearly killed him on three separate occasions. “I almost drank myself to death,” he explained. “I couldn’t stop. I was in the grips.” In 2008, he nearly died of an overdose. His wife made him go to rehab, but he continued to drink and was divorced in 2009. In September of 2009, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, which turned quickly into ascites, a severe swelling in the abdomen caused by his drinking. His skin turned a fire-hydrant yellow, and he ballooned up to 330 pounds. “The doctor told me I was in the twelfth hour,” he said. Somehow, he was miraculously healed, and he quit drinking for 37 months. In 2013, he nearly died again when he overdosed on anxiety medication and a fifth of scotch. “I had to come within an inch of my life,” he said. “Pain is one of my best teachers. It’s the only thing I ever listened to. God throws pebbles. If that doesn’t work, he throws boulders. I needed the boulders.” The journey into the unknown often comes at a price. There is nothing easy about it. For addicts to change, they often need to hit rock bottom, because change not only means giving up a substance but giving up everything they had built their life around, everything they thought protected them from a painful world. Rock bottom looks different for everyone. Pete had to come within an inch of his life. For others, it could be going to jail, losing a loved one, or getting fired from a job. In their article, Change is Possible for Addicts, the American Addiction Centers explain, “Those who have a high rock bottom do not need to lose very much before they decide that they have had enough. Other people hold onto their addiction until it destroys everything good in their life.” But when the fear of the unknown world without drugs or alcohol is finally overshadowed by the pain of life with drugs or alcohol, life-change is possible. When an addict reaches their rock bottom, they are willing to do anything to escape. Pete agreed, “The pain got to the point where I was willing to do anything other than what I had been doing.” The American Addiction Centers explain, “When people reach this stage, they have the motivation and potential to completely turn their life around.” “When you’re at your weakest, that’s when Christ is at His strongest in you,” Rob told me one day in the City Mission chapel. “He is always there. He draws us real close. He whispers in your ear, ‘I’m right here.’ That’s the start of the change.” Tara explains her venture into the unknown this way, “I could still be in Virginia curled up in bed crying my eyes out in a completely dark room. Instead, I’m here at City Mission trying to be the woman I never thought I could be. Me sitting here right now, that’s enough proof for me that change is possible.” Tests and The Inmost Cave Once heroes venture into the unknown, they are met with enemies and obstacles that test their new resolve. At each obstacle, the hero must renew his decision to carry on into a new future or revert back to his old ways. Joseph Campbell tells us, “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” Moses is met with many obstacles on his journey. Pharoah refuses nine times to let the Israelites go, and then once the Israelites are free, they run out of food and water in the desert. They are met in battle by the Amalekites. The people complain and grumble against Moses as they are forced to wander the desert for 40 years. At each stage, Moses must find the courage to push forward. According to the American Addiction Centers, people with addictive personalities (those who are more likely to fall into addiction) often “find life too uncomfortable to deal with. In recovery the individual has to find a new way of dealing with things.” Navigating through the challenges of life without drugs or alcohol requires you to adopt more effective and healthy coping strategies, develop stronger interpersonal skills, discover new ways to build your confidence, and handle difficult situations and feelings. You find strength deep within yourself that you never knew was there. “This can be a place of adversity that they don’t want to walk into,” said Steve Nicholas, City Mission’s former Director of the Career, Training, and Education Program. “It can be a battle area. How do they respond when they face adversity? What is their choice? Do they back down and return to a place of comfort or fight for something better?” Tara says, “You got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Sharing in meetings, speaking with a complete stranger, trying to put yourself out there in the fellowship of other addicts. Helping the next addict is without parallel. It will shape and mold you into a completely different person. I am not the same person I was a year ago.” When faced with new challenges, instead of turning inward, Tara learned to reach out to others and live for something greater than herself. There comes a time in recovery when you must confront your deepest fear or your greatest weakness – your inmost cave. It is a moment of truth in your hero’s journey. Just a few months into his sobriety, Pete was kicked out of a treatment facility for “drug-seeking behavior,” and with no other options, he was forced to come to City Mission. It was an obstacle in his journey that filled him with anger -- an anger born in the heart of who he was. He was angry over losing his family, his home. He was angry over the four DUI’s that landed him in jail for 47 weekends. It was an anger that had perhaps always been there – an anger that perhaps drove him to drink in the first place. It was this same anger that nearly got him kicked out of the Mission as well. After lashing out against a City Mission staff member in August of 2014, he was given a stern warning that if he didn’t change his behavior, he would have to leave. That same day, while at church, he had an epiphany. “I cried out to the Lord with literal tears running down my face.” “Tears are some of our best prayers,” Pete said. “Psalms 56:8 tells us, ‘God collects each tear in a bottle.’” That challenge proved to be an opportunity for Pete to find a deeper power, and his life was renewed. From that day, Pete began living for something greater than himself. “I call that day Humility Monday,” he explained. “Something happened. I had come to the end of myself. Either I found God or He found me, but I realized on that day that it ain’t about me anymore. And I just experienced some type of joy, some sort of peace in my life that could only come from the Holy Ghost.” Every resident’s story is unique, but if they truly desire life-change, they must all square off against their deepest, darkest fears and discover something greater, something that eclipses those fears and leads them to a full and abundant life. Death and Rebirth Often, there comes a time in the course of a hero’s journey when part of the hero dies. The person who finishes the journey is simply not the same person who started out. A transformation must take place for the hero to complete the journey. The greatest example of this in all of history and all of literature is the story of Jesus Christ. For Him to accomplish his purpose on Earth, He had to die and be resurrected. And His life is a model for us all to live by. In Luke 9:23, He tells us, ““If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” We are all to be transformed. “I tell people, if you see the old Tara, shoot her,” said Tara one day in the City Mission chapel. “She was a very sick, broken individual just looking for a way out. The old Tara died. I’m not that person anymore. Today, I’m completely different.” Pete added, “I am a witness to the transformation power of God. I experienced it. Just like the Apostle Paul was changed on the Road to Damascus and saw everything differently from then on.” Rob chimed in, “If I was still the same person I was, there’s no way I’d ever be able to stay clean. If I didn’t change everything, I would never say that there could be redemption.” “Recovery is a strange word,” he said. “I don’t want to recover anything of who I was. I want to see who I can become. A new creation. This journey is about finding the person that I can become, the man I can be, not recovering the old man. The old things have passed away. All things have become new.” Return With the Elixir The very last step in the hero’s journey is when the hero returns to his ordinary world and shares everything he learned on his journey with others. This last stage in the journey just so happens to coincide with the twelfth and final step of the Alcoholics Anonymous program (“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we try to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs”). Reaching out to help others is a crucial aspect of both the hero’s journey and recovery. “I have hope today, because I want to help others,” said Tara. “It does something for me when I can help someone and see a smile on their face. Knowing that I did something for them just like someone did for me.” This part of the story makes the hero’s journey complete, but it also represents a new beginning. They can finally leave their own wants and needs behind and see a bigger world for themselves. Now, they have a purpose, a calling, a mission – a future. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Conclusion I have been blessed to meet and have meaningful conversations with Rob, Tara, and Pete. When I think about these beautiful, heroic souls trapped in their old lives of addiction, pain, fear, and despair, it breaks my heart. But they are new creations now. They are children of God. They are beloved. Their honesty, love, compassion, and humility are truly stunning. It was a treacherous journey that brought them to the place where they are, and today, they represent the very best of us. They are my heroes! Note: Some of the names and biographical details have been changed to protect the anonymity of the residents.

"This Place is Holy Ground"

October 28, 2021

City Mission’s Samaritan Care outreach program provides help to people in need in the community. For many, homelessness is just one medical bill or missed paycheck away, so City Mission provides supportive services to local families and individuals who qualify as low-income. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-3pm, the Samaritan Care Center food pantry opens its doors to the public. There, you can get nonperishable food items, winter clothes, hygiene items, and even toys for your kids. Most days when the Center is open, there are representatives from local organizations like BluePrints, SNAP, Gateway Health, and Dress for Success on hand to offer information, guidance, and support. Tom came to our Samaritan Care Center in August seeking emergency shelter. His wife of 40 years had passed away in 2017. “I still think about her every day,” he said. Going from two incomes to one proved to be difficult, and he was forced to move out of the beautiful home he had shared with his wife. After that, he lived in an apartment building for a while, until it burned to the ground. He lost all of his possessions in the fire. He stayed with friends after that for about a month, but soon, at age 80, he found himself sleeping in cars, on couches, and even outside in the grass. That’s when he came to City Mission for help. He knew about the Mission, because he had been a monthly donor for years. “This was my last resort,” he explained. “As old as I am, I can’t survive living on the streets out in the heat. I just never thought I’d ever be in a position like this.” Tom grew up in Washington. During his life, he was a coal miner, a construction worker, and a maintenance man for a pharmaceutical company. He even owned his own business for eight years before retiring in 2001. He never thought he would end up homeless. When he did, he came to the Mission for help, but he didn’t really want to enter the residential program at first. He just needed some food and a place to stay for a bit while he figured some things out. When Tom came to City Mission, we were still under COVID restrictions, so instead of setting up a cot for him in our facility as we normally would for emergency shelter, Jason Johnson, our Director of Operations who oversees the Samaritan Care Center, helped Tom secure a hotel room nearby and took him three meals a day. In the mornings, Johnson would pick him up and bring him to the Mission, where Anne Wightman, City Mission’s Samaritan Care Coordinator, would help him make phone calls and contact local organizations to assist him with applications for housing. After a few days of that, Tom was so impressed with what the Mission did for him that he decided to enter the program. “They saved my life,” Tom said. “The staff here are angels sent from above. This is actually the happiest I’ve been in a long time. I’m not afraid. This place is a sanctuary. It’s Holy Ground!” Tom is just one example of the great work our Samaritan Care team is doing in the community. Johnson and Wightman have an infinite list of stories who have come to the Samaritan Center for help. From prisoners freshly released from jail to a widow living in her car in a parking lot to an elderly couple living in a trailer outside a junkyard, Samaritan Care stands up for those who just need a little support and guidance as they work their way toward a better life. “Everybody is here because the Lord brought us here,” said Wightman, explaining why she is so passionate about the good work being done at City Mission’s Samaritan Care Center. “We all have a calling to be here.” Learn more about Samaritan Care and support our community outreach ministry at citymission.org.

Grateful Through it All

September 23, 2021

As Travis looked around at the streets that had been his home for more than a decade, he knew the time had come to make some major changes. He was tired of addiction controlling his life and destroying everything he loved. “It was just fun in the beginning, when I first started using drugs, but then one thing led to another. For about 12 years, I was never clean longer than three days.” Travis was able to hold down a job, but his personal life suffered. All his relationships failed, and it strained his connection with his family.“I was on the streets for pretty much 11 years – doing all kinds of bad stuff that I shouldn’t be doing. Every penny went to drugs.” While he was in rehab, Travis learned about City Mission when he met one of our staff members who speaks there every Sunday night. That relationship led Travis to seek help staying clean and rebuilding his life. “I came here to try and do the right thing,” he says. “I needed God in my life, and that drew me here.”At City Mission, Travis experienced a real relationship with God for the first time in his life. The daily routine of classes, counseling and Bible study are helping him stay sober and rebuild his life in a healthy way. “I had stopped looking for God for a long time. But now we do devotions every morning and I pray every single night… just a little friendly reminder to stay on the right path.” His parents have been supportive of his recovery journey, and they are proud of the changes they see in him. He’s working hard so that, when the time is right, he can go back out into the world and find a job and place of his own. Travis feels incredibly thankful for your compassion and support – and how it’s given him a fresh start in life. “Everyone here is so supportive and amazing. I see a future now, when before it was just darkness.”

True Colors

June 14, 2021

At ten minutes before 4pm on Monday, June 7, the rain started coming down. Brianna Kadlecik, City Mission’s Career Services Manager, had just started setting up for the second annual outdoor Tie-Dye event for the residents. Quickly, with help from the Mission’s Recovery Support staff, she moved all the tables and supplies under the pavilion by the men’s shelter to get out of the rain. “We want to create opportunities for our residents to have fun and relax when they’re here, and to take a break from the heavier and more difficult issues that they’re working through,” Kadlecik said, explaining why she was so determined to put on the event for the residents, even in the rain. “Events like this also help build community with the residents and they get to see each other and the staff in a different light.” Last summer, during COVID lockdown, it was a difficult and unsettling time for the Mission and their residents. During that time, the Mission staff worked hard to host fun activities to help boost the morale of the residents – activities like movie nights and coloring groups. One Mission resident had the idea for a tie-dye-t-shirt-making event. “Not only did that resident want to do tie-dye for the sheer fun of the event, but he also wanted to have something that reminded him of his time at the Mission,” Kadlecik explained. “I thought it was a brilliant idea and we both took time to watch videos and read articles about how to do tie-dye.” The event was so successful last year, with nearly 30 residents participating, that Kadlecik knew she needed to do it again this year. Thirty-two residents and seven staff members made a shirt last Monday, and five more residents plan to make shirts in the coming weeks. “I firmly believe in the power that self-expression and creativity have in our personal healing and self-care,” Kadlecik noted. “We get so many residents from various walks of life and some of them haven’t been exposed to the freedom of creating to express themselves or to purely have fun. “It’s a joy to see the residents smiling as they dye their shirts -- to hear them laughing, helping, and encouraging one another as they create their shirts.” You can help the men, women, children, and veterans who stay with us to have positive experiences, gain confidence, build connections, and live with hope along their journey to independent living. Visit us at www.citymission.org to learn more about our programs and services and to see how you can support our life-changing work in the community.

All Bases Covered

Tom Crooks in Front of Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House

May 24, 2021

Tom is a Desert Storm-era veteran, serving in the US Army from 1990-1994. He grew up in Belmont County, OH.After his military service, for years, he was a salesman at Xerox. But, eventually, his health deteriorated to the point where he could no longer work or even live on his own. Suffering from severe hearing loss and the intense pain of two failing hip joints along with the loss of his job and his independence, he spiraled into depression. He finally sought help at the Veterans Center in Belmont County for his medical and mental health issues.To his surprise, the Veterans Center recommended him to a place he had never heard of in a completely different state – City Mission’s Crabtree-Kovacicek Veterans House. “It was actually my home state of Ohio that said, you know, basically, the best place for you to go to be able to get the help you need would be the City Mission in Washington, PA,” Tom explained. “And I thought that sounded pretty surprising.”Tom was encouraged when he heard that City Mission was a Christ-centered shelter. Even though he was raised in the Catholic church, he had fallen away from God at different periods in his life, and he knew that getting right again with the Lord was exactly what he needed to get his life back on track. “It’s well-rounded here,” he said. “You have a faith-based community. You have help for veterans. You have help for everyone. And it’s all those different programs wrapped together that you know, I figured I would give it a try.”So he got a ride down Interstate-70 and moved into the Veterans House at City Mission in October of 2019. Immediately, Steve Adams, City Mission’s Manager of Veterans Services, connected Tom with the VA, where he has been able to get help with his hearing loss. He is also currently on the waiting list for two hip replacements.Additionally, he is working with our staff at the Career Training and Education Center to restore a sense of purpose in his life by establishing education and career goals. Inspired by the compassionate work of the City Mission staff, he is even considering pursuing his Master of Arts in Theology and Christian Ministry through the online program at Fransiscan University.“You’ve got a support team here that handles everything in regards to education, job search, housing placement, so on and so forth. The whole core concept is basically preparing you to get back to independent living. So, all bases are covered,” he said of his experience at the Mission.“Before I came here,” he added, “I didn’t feel like I had any kind of a future. But now, you know, there’s light on the road ahead.” In November of 2020, after more than a year at the Mission, Tom moved out of the Veterans House and back to Belmont County, Ohio to be near his friends and family and his fiancée. Steve Adams spoke with Tom just a few months ago. “He is doing well,” Adams said. “He’s in good spirits.”Like so many local veterans who have struggled, Tom got the help he needed and rediscovered his passion for life at City Mission’s Crabtree-Kovacicek Veterans House. Your compassion helped Tom find his way. There are 22 more veterans in our Veterans House who could certainly use your help. Visit https://www.citymission.org/support/veterans to find out how you can help or call 724-222-8530 to learn more.

"I'm a Real Person Again!"

Brianna Kadlecik, Manager of Career Services

May 7, 2021

Imagine for a moment that you live in a tent under a bridge. You’ve only been homeless for a few weeks, and things are actually starting to look up. You just had a job interview earlier in the day that seems promising enough. You have relevant experience, and you feel like it’ll be a good fit. It is giving you the first glimmer of hope you have had in quite a while. If things go well, maybe you can even get an apartment within the next few weeks. Maybe your kids could even come and live with you again sometime in the near future. That’s what you’ve been praying for. On your way back to your tent for the night, you hear a rustling in the bushes behind you. Before you can turn around, you’ve been clubbed over the head with a rock. You’re lying in the dirt, slipping in and out of consciousness, but you feel hands digging in your pockets for your wallet. When you come to, you realize that everything has been stolen from you – your cash and credit cards, all of your ID documents, even the photos of your kids that you keep in your backpack. Thankfully, you get that job you were hoping for, but the company can’t hire you, because you’re unable to provide ID for their new hire paperwork. Early the next morning, you go to the post office to get your last unemployment check so you can buy food. You haven’t eaten in three days. But no place in town will cash the check for you, because you have no ID. You contact the Vital Records department to get a copy of your birth certificate, but you have to provide an ID. So you call PennDot to get a copy of your state ID, but they ask for your birth certificate. You can’t figure out how your life unraveled so quickly. At the end of your rope, with nowhere else to turn, you walk in the doors at City Mission. Immediately, you get a hot meal, a soft bed, a change of clothes, and you meet Career Services Manager, Brianna Kadlecik. “I can help you,” she says. She sits you down in the Career Training and Education Center and hands you an application. She tells you that the Mission has helped to provide roughly 850 identity documents for their residents since she started working there four years ago and already 133 pieces of identification since this past October.“90% of our residents come to us missing at least one of the key ID documents: Birth Certificate, SocialSecurity Card, or State ID,” she explains. “And the doors it can open up for you when you get them are amazing! Employment, housing, and things like that.”You tell her you were born and raised in Pennsylvania. “That’ll make it easy,” she says. And she explains that the best place to start is to contact the Vital Records department to get your birth certificate. As a social worker, she can make the request on your behalf. You just have to sign a letter giving her permission. That can really speed up the process and help you navigate the loop of having to provide ID to get your birth certificate. “Huge props to PA,” she adds. “They have a homeless fee waiver for birth certificates, which is tremendous. Not many states offer that.” Brianna explains that your application should go pretty quick, but sometimes out-of-state requests can get a bit tricky. She tells you a story about a former resident who came to the Mission in January of 2018. She was born in Texas. The only ID she had was an expired driver’s license from Michigan. Her parents were no longer alive, and she really had no family to vouch for her identity or make the request on her behalf. Brianna explained that they were between a rock and a hard place with the Texas Vital Records department and every application they submitted was rejected for six months.“Ultimately, she needed a state ID to get a job, but first, we had to get her birth certificate, because that unlocks all the other doors,” Brianna says. “I give her a ton of credit. She was so patient.” Waiting on the ID documents set her job search back several months, but Brianna and the resident never gave up. At the end of July that year, the birth certificate finally came in the mail. “When it finally came in,” Brianna remembers, “we were both over the moon. We had worked so hard. And she definitely needed it.” When your birth certificate comes in the mail three weeks later, Brianna hands it to you across the table in the Career Training and Education Center. “We’re here to help you remove barriers,” she smiles. “And this birth certificate is going to take barriers away and help you secure employment and housing and get you on your way to independence. It may seem like just a small, little thing right now, but it’s actually a HUGE thing.”You hold the crisp, new birth certificate in your hands. It has your name printed on it in bold letters.“I’m a real person,” you say, without thinking. “This proves that I’m a real person again.” Now, you have the documentation you need to get a job, apply for public housing, rent an apartment, cash a check, apply for student loans, etc. Just a few pieces of paper unlock all of these doors for you. City Mission has helped hundreds of people walk through these doors. With your help, together, we can help hundreds more. Visit www.citymission.org to learn more about how you can help. ‍

Robert Breaks Free

April 23, 2021

Robert sat in a prison cell trying to figure out how to get his life turned around. His addiction had ruined his life, destroyed his relationships with his wife and kids, and ultimately landed him in prison. He knew he needed to change everything if things were going to get any better. Robert, who grew up in the Mon Valley, was baptized in the Catholic church. He was also an altar boy and attended Catholic school. But it wasn’t a happy childhood. Sadly, Robert was molested at a young age by a family member. At age 14, perhaps as a way to cope with his trauma, he began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. “The first time I ever used any type of drugs, I was 14,” he explained. “But it didn’t progress any. And then, when I got into my 20s, when I was able to go to bars, that’s when it progressed. Drinking, you know, basically every day after work.” His drinking was an attempt to numb the pain from his childhood, but it prevented him from seeking help to treat bipolar, anxiety, and Post-traumatic Stress disorders, which all went undiagnosed for decades. In 2010, he managed to break his back, and his doctor prescribed painkillers. “I was drinking every day, but the drug problem didn’t come into effect until I broke my back,” Robert said. “The doctor kept prescribing me opioids. And then, all of a sudden, he cut me off.” After his prescriptions ran out, Robert began to self-medicate with street drugs, which eventually led to a full-blown addiction that lasted for nearly ten years. During that time, he was homeless and living on the street for about eight months. “I slept under bridges. I slept in a doghouse once,” he recalled. “I slept in a tent down by the river, for like two months, until somebody came and burned it down.” Eventually, he wound up in prison, and with nowhere else to go upon his release, he came to City Mission. “This is one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had in my life,” he said of his experience at the Mission. “I am blessed, because there is no other place that you could get what you get here.” Since arriving, Robert has restored his relationship with Christ, worked on his recovery, earned a forklift operator certification and an OSHA Agriculture certificate, coordinated the Mission’s Big Brother mentorship program, and acted as a Resident Assistant, helping to mentor newer intakes. “I’ve seen people come in here who were very successful when they left,” he said, “and I believe I can be one of those people.” Robert was well on his way to independence and a transformed life, but, in November, he tested positive for the Coronavirus. He got really sick and had to be quarantined, but every day, someone from the Mission came to check on him. That care and compassion from the staff impacted him even more than all of the opportunities the Mission had made available to him. “I never realized what Agape love is until now,” he explained. “I’ve come around positive people that are believers, and they really helped me a lot…It’s just totally unreal.” “if you have patience,” Robert added, “God will give you not what you want but what you need.” Robert has capitalized on his opportunities here at City Mission and has turned his life around. You can help our residents, just like Robert, restore their lives and renew their hope. Visit www.citymission.org or call 724-222-8530 to find out how you can help.

Garrick Gets Another Chance

April 9, 2021

Garrick had a happy childhood, growing up in Beaver County, and going to church with his family. Life was good. But then, in high school, he made some bad decisions, fell in with the wrong crowd, and got into drugs and alcohol. His life went off course, and he even had to drop out of college. Eventually, his addiction took everything away from him. “My life went downhill really fast because of addiction,” he said. “Basically, it escalated to the point in my 20s and early 30s that I pretty much like burned every bridge with everybody I had in my life. I was in and out of rehab, sleeping on people’s couches, sleeping outside on the street if I had to.” At one point, Garrick managed to stay clean and sober for almost five years. During that time, he met someone and had two beautiful children. He had a job and was creating a good life for himself and his family. “That short time period proved to me that life can be good and worth living,” he explained. “And that there is another way to live.” And then, he relapsed, and his life, once again, spun out of control. “It got to a point where my life was so bad that I needed to try something different,” he said, “because life, the way I was living it, was pretty terrible.” After addiction tore his life and his family apart, Garrick, with nowhere else to turn, came to City Mission in 2018. He stayed for over a year. He got clean and then he moved out. But the everyday battle with addiction lead to a relapse in a very short time. “I basically fell flat on my face again,” he said. “But when I was here the first time, I was doing what I had to do for the addiction side but without God in my life.” Garrick had been very closed-minded about the spiritual aspect of his recovery. He had grown up in the church, but when addiction grabbed ahold of him, he blamed God. “I was like how could God let this happen to me,” he recalled, and he had a difficult time opening his heart back up to God. But when he came back to the Mission for the second time, he came in with a very different perspective. “I was so broken by the time I got back here again that it was like a light bulb went off in my head,” he explained. “Through my trials and tribulations, I basically learned how to open my mind up to the idea that there is a God. I thought to myself, I need to try something different, because whatever I was doing before wasn’t working. I hated myself for so long and I feel like that’s what became natural for me was hating myself. Until I came back here and was here for a couple weeks.” As seen with many addiction journeys, it took two tries for Garrick to turn his life around. But he knew that City Mission was the place where a new life was possible. “Before coming to the Mission, I was broken. Since coming here, I’m finally happy. Happy that I restored my relationship with the Lord. It’s definitely better when you have God on your side.” Now that Garrick has his life back on track, he wants to give back and help other people. He is looking to go back to school for drug and alcohol counseling or nursing. “I truly believe that I need to do something that helps people. Because I’ve had a lot of jobs that didn’t help people and I was miserable,” he said. “I think the biggest thing that I learned at the Mission is how to help others.” Garrick is a new creation. You can help others just like him to turn their lives around at City Mission. Visit www.citymission.org to find out how.

Today I Have Hope

January 27, 2021

“I can honestly say that I’ve been depressed most of my life,” Carmella said. She was abused as a child and experienced the death of two husbands in her lifetime. Her first husband died of lung cancer when he was just 38 years old. “Death and grieving have been like a big part of my story,” she noted. Over the years, Carmella turned to drugs to ease the pain of her grief. “Drugs weren’t my problem,” she explained. “They were my solution.” But eventually, the drugs took over and derailed her life. When she was clean, she was successful. She is well-educated. She worked in various careers. She was a counselor, an administrative assistant, a corrections officer. But drugs ripped her life apart, and in 2017, she found herself homeless. “I never thought that my life would turn out the way that it has.” Eventually, she found her way to City Mission, and she has started to put the pieces of her life back together. She has a job and is going to counseling to manage her grief and depression. She is working the steps to stay clean. “The Mission has given me the opportunity to look at how full my life is instead of how little my life is,” she said. “I’m not focusing on what I don’t have. I’m looking at what I have to be grateful for.” Carmella has two daughters, 33 and 15, who are her biggest supporters. “My children understand addiction because we’ve been through it for so long. They’ve seen me at my best. They’ve seen me at my worst. And they’re proud of me now.” She is also working to complete a degree in social work so she can help people who have suffered like she has suffered. “If I can just be a better mother to my children, a better child of God and to be able to get into social work somewhere where I can help people like me, that’s what I’d like to do.” It turns out, Carmella’s life was always fuller and richer than her grief ever let her realize, and now she is finally filled with hope and a promise for the future. “I don’t see myself as a failure anymore,” she said. “I don’t see myself as a burden. I’m able to give back where I took so much. This time last year, I was hopeless. I was depressed. I was spiritually bankrupt. I was gloom. I was doom. And today I have hope.” “This is a place of restoration. This is a place of giving life to the lifeless.”

Matt Celebrates Hope

City Mission resident, Matt, in front of City Mission

January 12, 2021

Growing up without a father, Matt had no stable role model to guide him. He fell in with the wrong crowd and developed harmful addictions and behaviors that took control of his life. He experienced times of sobriety – even developing a relationship with God, going to ministry school, and preaching the gospel. But over time he relapsed and continued down the same destructive path. Finally, when he permanently lost custody of his precious young daughter because of his drug use, he was heartbroken. And he asked the Lord to help him change his life. “It was the beginning of my surrender to Jesus Christ,” he says. He came to the Mission to continue his journey in our Christ-centered program. “I came here looking to connect with my Father, God, and to renew the relationship with Him that I once had,” he explains. “I wanted to pursue God in prayer… in meditation… and in His Word,” Matt says, “and I have found all that here.” And as he embraces God’s forgiveness for his past, “I’m learning to love myself the way God loves me,” he says. Now, with God guiding his steps, he feels called to return to the mission field. “I’ve figured out that I’m truly God’s son… I’ve discovered what my passion is… and what I was put on this earth to do,” he shares. “I’m truly happy, and I can say that with all my heart.” Thanks to the blessing of your support, Matt has hope as a new creation in Christ. “The Mission gives an individual the opportunity to get right with the Lord and to truly change their life.”

A Life Renewed ... A Family Restored

January 6, 2021

At just 26, Mashae was struggling as a single mother. Her father’s sudden death had saddened her deeply. Her depression eventually led to substance abuse, which made it difficult for her to care for herself and her three children. “I wasn’t eating or taking showers. My kids weren’t going to school. I knew I had a problem, but I didn’t want to admit it.” At first, the drugs helped her to numb the pain of losing her father. They also gave her the energy to get up in the middle of the night with her youngest child and to clean up around the house. But very quickly, everything unraveled, and the drugs took over her life. “I was pretty broken. Very upset, very confused. I was very overwhelmed.” Finally, Mashae’s mother stepped in… and encouraged her to seek help at City Mission. At the Mission, her life is being restored through Christ-centered programs and a newfound trust in the Lord. “I’ve learned He will always be there for you no matter what…He will always forgive you. He’s always on your side. He will never let you down.” Mashae is working to earn her GED and hopes to become a paralegal. She is dedicated to being the mother and godly role model her children need. Today, Mashae says, “I am healthier and happier. I know my worth now.”

At a Crossroads

Steve at the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House

December 2, 2020

This past June, Steve, a US Army veteran, was struggling through a marital separation when he lost his job without warning. He had been a welder for a local manufacturing plant for the past ten years. With no idea what to do next, he remembered a former co-worker talking about City Mission’s Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House, and he decided to give it a try. “It’s been a blessing ever since,” he explained. “I thank this place for providing stability for me. I was at a crossroads, and they helped me find the right road.” Steve grew up in Houston, PA. His mom was a single mother raising eight kids. After he graduated from high school in 1982, he went into the Army for three years of active duty. “I saw combat and jumped out of airplanes,” he said of his military experience. He also trained to be a medic, which was a difficult job, but he thought at least it would transition into a good career after the military. Unfortunately, he was never able to get a job in the medical field. Eventually, after the military, he moved with a friend to Atlanta, pursuing a job opportunity at a liquor warehouse. “It wasn’t a good place to be,” he said. “I was young. Alcohol led to drugs. That’s where my life spiraled.” To get clean, he moved back home. He went to rehab a few times but was never really focused, and he had to fight for his sobriety for decades. He has been clean now for seven years. When he came to City Mission, he was curious but cautious. Everyone turned out to be much friendlier and more helpful than he expected. “I didn’t think guys would listen to my story and be so willing to help,” he said. “Guys were listening and advising but not telling me what to do. I realized my story isn’t the only one. I related with everybody here. I started to relax and open up.” City Mission’s Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House set him up with counseling through the Vet Center and helped him get funds to go back to school and earn his Commercial Driver’s License. The Mission drove him back and forth to school at Penn Commercial Technical School so he didn’t have to worry about getting a ride. After six weeks, he graduated from the program, and he’s now considering multiple job offers. “The trucking field is so in demand right now,” he explained. “People aren’t shopping in stores. Things are being delivered. I’m looking at so many options.” Recently, Steve was able to land a good job in the trucking industry. He successfully moved out of the Mission and is waiting to begin the next phase of his training out on the road. “I’m proud of myself,” Steve said. “The Mission taught me to stop rushing into everything – to focus on a goal and go for it. They showed me things, but I did it. They led me to water, but I drank on my own. Coming to the Mission is not putting yourself down. It’s an opportunity to better yourself. If you could see how I feel because of what I’ve been able to accomplish, anybody would want to do this.”

“OVERWHELMED WITH JOY”

Kazmiere and her children at the City Mission playground

November 11, 2020

“There are plenty of facilities but none like this one,” says Kazmiere, a resident of City Mission’s Women with Children Shelter. “The compassion of the people in this place is amazing. They want to see you rise up and be successful.” Kazmiere and her three daughters came to City Mission in the spring of 2019. Before that, they were homeless, moving from place to place, staying with family members who would take them in. The moment Kazmiere stepped in the door at City Mission, her anger, fear and anxiety dissolved away. “The burdens of the world just fell off my shoulders,” she explains. “It feels so good not to have to live like that anymore.” During her stay, Kazmiere has solidified her relationship with God, invested more time in her children, and worked on her recovery. She has purchased a vehicle and started nursing school. Now she is looking to move into a place of her own – in time for the holidays – where her children can open presents under the tree.“I can’t wait for Christmas,” she says today. “I’m overwhelmed with joy.” She shares that her experience at the Mission last year gave her a new joy for the holidays.“It was awesome,” she says. “There were so many toys I couldn’t even walk around in my suite. My kids were so happy!”Her newfound joy for Christmas has inspired her to give back: “This year, I’m going to bless a family with gifts, a Christmas meal and some gift cards for Mom,” she says. “I want somebody else to feel how I felt when Christmas came around last year.”This holiday season, Kazmiere will be celebrating Christmas with a renewed spirit and the great joy that comes from a new life.

Life Changing Call

September 10, 2020

Michael always knew he wanted to go to college. It was his best opportunity to live out a calling to help people. He wanted a job he could be passionate about, one that truly made an impact. But he felt stuck. “He was hoping for a future path that included a career in the medical or counseling field,” explained Colleen Riker, City Mission’s Manager of Medical Services, who worked closely with Michael during his time at the Mission. “His desire was to attend college, but he wasn’t sure that was even a viable option since he was living in a homeless shelter and had no income.” Michael had a very difficult few years. In 2016, he lost a close friend to suicide. “We really didn’t know how he was feeling,” he said of his friend. “I want to be able to help prevent that from happening to someone else.” He even volunteers as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line to provide support for those who have lost hope. But his opportunities to help people are limited, and he has long dreamed of earning his degree and becoming a nurse or a social worker. When Michael graduated from Wash High, he began the process of completing his college application, but he hit a roadblock completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). He and his family also had a falling out at that time, which resulted in him getting kicked out of the house. For several years, Michael moved around and hopped from job to job. “I was couch-surfing for a while until I ran out of options,” he explained. When he had exhausted all other options, he made a call to his longtime friend, Brianna Kadlecik, who happened to be the Career Training and Education Center Coordinator at City Mission. “Michael and I met in the youth group for West Washington and Jefferson Avenue United Methodist churches,” Kadlecik explained. “We ended up becoming part of a praise band called the Fools for Christ, where we both sang.” It was a life-changing call for Michael. “I don’t like asking for help,” he said. “I always like to do it myself. When I had to reach out, it was a big step for me.” In May of last year, he moved into City Mission. At first, he was not at all sure that City Mission was the right fit for him. “The first day was really scary,” he said. “There are a lot of people in one room. Disagreements are going to pop up. I tried to stay out of it.” Many of the men around him were much older and in drug and alcohol addiction recovery, which was not one of Michael’s struggles. He felt out of place. “When Michael first came to City Mission in May of 2019, he had a lot of anxiety issues,” said Riker. “But he worked with our Medical Clinic and Drug-Free Pain Management Team to establish a doctor and utilize Alpha-Stim technology to manage his anxiety.” And he managed to stick with the program. He had some meaningful conversations with City Mission staff and his fellow residents, and he eventually decided to stay. “The Mission taught me to not be in a rush, to just let the process work.” He started going to the Career Training and Education Center at the Mission, and he used the computers there to work on his college application. Now that he was living at the Mission, he could complete his FAFSA application form as an independent, and that helped him out tremendously. “We were able to help him finish his application,” said Kadlecik. “This was a barrier that I had seen Michael run up against for years with no hope of getting past it, and It was so rewarding to see him finally get past it. Michael was filled with hope where there had been so much disappointment and frustration.” Kadlecik also helped him write a resume, which eventually helped him get hired at Gabe’s in Washington, where he was able to save up money toward the additional costs of college that his loans would not cover. He was even able to save up enough money to purchase his own vehicle. Then, one day, a letter from California University of Pennsylvania came in the mail at the Mission with Michael’s name on it. “The moment when I was accepted into college, that was a fun moment,” he said. “Everyone was excited!” “There were high-fives and tears of joy when he received his acceptance letter,” said Riker. “Michael was excited when he got the acceptance letter,” remembered Kadlecik. “He made the rounds to all the staff that he’d been working with, and we were all so excited for him. His dream was finally going to become a reality.”

Living Proof

August 17, 2020

Family homelessness can be devastating and have a lifelong impact on mothers and children, but lives are being transformed at City Mission’s Women with Children Shelter. Kazmiere and her family are living proof of that. “Without the Mission providing me the opportunity to keep my kids, this journey would have never started for me. It means everything to me. I’m forever grateful--for real.”

Knowledge is Power

City Mission staff Brianna Kadlecik and GED Students

July 24, 2020

City Mission’s Career Training and Education Coordinator, Brianna Kadlecik, and volunteer instructor, Dee Dee Zinn, have been working alongside the residents as they pursue their GED, and it has been very rewarding for them to watch the residents learn and grow as people. “It really builds their confidence,” Kadlecik explained. “When everyone is cheering them on, they start to see that they can really do it.”

City Mission Vets Give Back

2nd Annivesrary Crabtree-Kovacicek Veterans House

July 8, 2020

On July 3, City Mission’s Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House celebrated two years of life transformation for homeless veterans. “This house is a testament to what can happen when a group of guys trust and believe in each other and work together to accomplish one another’s goals,” said Steve Adams, City Mission’s Manager of Veterans Services. Since opening its doors in 2018, the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House has helped restore 27 homeless veterans to independent living and helped 33 residents gain sustainable income. Boasting a 74% overall success rate for housing, employment, income, recovery, and spirituality, the Crabtree House is helping to restore hope and confidence for the 22 veterans they serve. City Mission’s program is about veterans helping veterans. The response from local veterans’ organizations who have donated money, clothes, food, and time to the residents has been overwhelming. “The donors have been so generous to this house,” said Tim, an Air Force veteran who came to the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House in October 2018 after breaking his hip. “The amount of donations that come in -- it’s just an overabundance. For me, it’s important to find a good way to give back.” In addition to getting help for our veterans, our residents are also finding ways to give help to other veterans. Every day, they are helping, supporting, and encouraging each other. “Vets are more willing and able to open up to other veterans,” explained Adams. Tim agreed, “It’s a matter of taking an oath and making a commitment. We all held up our end of the bargain for our country. And maybe that’s what sets us apart. An oath really does mean something to each and every one of us.” Veterans helping and supporting each other is key to their recovery. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, “The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. Programs that seem to work best feature transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.” But the veterans in City Mission’s program are also reaching out to the community and giving back. Wendi Kraemer is the President and founder of Angels Journey Home, a rescue shelter for animals. A few years ago, her organization partnered with the Veterans Administration to create the Angels For Everyday Heroes program, which rescues animals, trains them to be service animals, and then connects them with veterans in need all over the country. “There are so many homeless veterans in need,” she said. “So many suffering every day.” Her organization donates to the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House every couple of months. “We’re here for vets,” she said. They were able to donate a nice suit to a resident who said he had never owned one. They even donated special shoes to a resident who suffered with foot pain related to diabetes. Last spring, a small group of residents from the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House went over to Kraemer’s 10-acre facility to give back. “They came and picked up trash, laid mulch all around the property,” Kraemer said. “We have a cat sanctuary, and they helped us out with that. It was great watching them laugh and joke around and just disconnect from their problems.” Joe, an Air Force veteran who came to the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House in April of last year, was there that day, helping to give back. “It was a lot of fun. I love doing that kind of stuff,” he said. Joe replaced some roof boards on the cat sanctuary. Tim helped Kraemer sort through donated pet supplies. Joe and Tim both agreed it felt good to give back to an organization that is doing good in the world. “It’s good to feel productive,” Tim explained. “That’s rewarding in and of itself.”

A New Lease on Life

June 12, 2020

“A New Lease on Life” In 2018, Tim, an Air Force veteran, was living in a hotel behind a bar. He had lost his Mom and his job of nearly twenty years in 2010, and his life had been slowly unraveling ever since. “Before I came here,” he said, “there wasn’t a single activity in my life that didn’t involve a drink – even taking a shower.” On July 6, he tripped over a pine root in the dark and broke his hip. “I was intoxicated,” he explained. “I haven’t had a drink since that night. That just woke me up. I firmly believe God laid His hand on me.” That freak accident eventually led him to City Mission, where, in August 2018, after hip surgery and eight weeks in physical therapy, he began the work of healing his mind, body, and spirit. Tim was born and raised in Monongahela. His Dad, who had been a Navy gunner in World War Two, was a crane operator for a steel mill in McKeesport, and his Mom was a Registered Nurse for a local hospital. He spent 12 years in Catholic School and received an excellent education. After graduation, he knew he needed a change of scenery after dabbling with drugs and alcohol his last few years of high school. Also, his dad foresaw the closing of local mills and knew that times would be hard financially in the Mon Valley for years to come, so Tim joined the Air Force, attending Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. After Basic Training, he trained to be an Air Crew Life Support Specialist. He would pack and maintain emergency items for the flight crew, such as flight helmets and survival kits – a job requiring significant attention to detail. In 1991, several years after leaving the military and returning home to the Mon Valley, he began working as a custodian for a school district in the South Hills, and he worked there for nearly twenty years. “It was the best job I ever had,” he said. “It wasn’t a high-paying job, but I really liked the people I worked with. It was very close-knit. And it was something different every day. It was the only job I ever had when I didn’t dread going to work.” Then in 2003, his drinking started to become more and more of a problem. “It was my own fault,” he said. “I can’t blame anyone but myself.” In 2010, he went to rehab, but he couldn’t complete the outpatient part of the program, because his mother, who had been ill, passed away. Completing the program was a requirement for returning to work, so he lost his job. Devastated, he moved to Oklahoma with his sister just to get away and start fresh, but that only lasted a few years. “This is home,” he explained. “The roots are sunk deep.” He moved back to the Mon Valley, but with his family all gone, he had nowhere to stay, so he lived for the next five years in a hotel behind a bar until the night he fell and broke his hip. He came to City Mission in August of 2018 and then moved into the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House that October. “This place affords you all the opportunities you need to heal,” he said. “It’s not a homeless shelter in the way you think. They offer career placement and medical care and classes. It’s a place to heal your mind, body, and spirit. When you heal physically, it helps with your recovery, and that helps you re-establish your relationship with Christ. And you’re just a walking shell unless you have a relationship with Christ. Mind, body, and spirit -- they all three mesh together.” “City Mission gave me a sense of self-worth and put me back in touch with the Lord,” he added. “Knowing that I could be of service is important to me. I just want to do something positive, effect positive change, and I know I’ve made positive contributions here.” “At the Crabtree House, we have confidence and self-respect. Perhaps it’s from our military experience. We’re all brother veterans, all working together for the betterment of all. I’m grateful to be able to have a sense of pride in something. And we take pride in that house.” “Thanks for saving my life,” he said to all the staff at City Mission. “For giving me a new lease on life.”

Coming Home

randy and vets house coordinator Steve share a hug on randy's departure

May 21, 2020

For six months, Randy lived in a tent in the woods. He found a nice spot between two trees. “It was home,” he said. “It kept me warm and dry.” After losing his job, Randy saw a story in the newspaper about Steven Adams, the new Manager of Veterans Services at City Mission.

City Mission Gave Me Hope When I Had No Hope Left

April 3, 2020

Pete found his way to the Greenbriar Treatment Center - the Lighthouse for Men where he began to learn about recovery. He also learned that he had no-one to count on and nowhere else to go. The staff at Greenbriar referred him to the Washington City Mission. Pete recalls, ‘I came to the City Mission in June of 2014. The first couple of weeks were rocky for me. I was running on self-will. After a few weeks I broke down to the Lord. I needed his help.”

Grateful for Your Kindness

amanda shows off her new Commercial Drivers License

January 16, 2020

"This place has opened up a whole new world for me! I can’t even count all the blessings. For once in my life I’m stopping and noticing all the blessings all around,” said Amanda, a resident at City Mission’s Women with Children Shelter. Amanda has suffered through ten years of addiction and five years in an abusive relationship. “He shot at me. He tried to stab me,” she explained. “He threw me out of a truck in New York and told me to find my own way home.”

Celebrating Her Blessings

December 17, 2019

”When she came to City Mission, she was surprised at the feeling of community here. “I’ve been in rehabs and other programs. This is the best one I’ve ever been in. I don’t just feel like another drug addict passing through. It’s different here. It doesn’t address just the addiction. It helps you with your spiritual life. It encompasses everything.

Happy at Last

Shawn at work in ihis room at the vets house

December 12, 2019

Since coming to City Mission, Shawn has transformed his life. “I’m getting my mind, body, and soul back,” he said. “This place is definitely a God-send. It’s so peaceful here. For the longest time I didn’t even consider myself a veteran. Now, I’m proud to be a vet. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned here.”

Tonya's Amazing Story of Hope

October 31, 2019

“It’s amazing here,” Tonya said of City Mission. “I tell a lot of people about this place.” Tonya and her daughter Jariyah,4, moved into the Women with Children Shelter in December of last year. When Tonya, who is originally from Brownsville, finished her program at the halfway house where she was living for six months, she didn’t really want to come to City Mission. She wanted to hurry up and get on with her life and reunite with her two sons who have been living with their Dad for the past three years. But she had nowhere to go except back to her hometown.

A Safe Haven

external street view of 'women with children' shelter building

October 24, 2019

On Friday, October 25, City Mission celebrates the first anniversary of their Women with Children Shelter. Over the past year, the shelter has become a place of love, security, and encouragement for mothers and children who have nowhere else to go. “The sense of community in the Women with Children Shelter is wonderful,” said Leah Dietrich, City Mission’s Director of Residential Programs. “The kids love having their own space for their family, but they also love playing together. There are best friends in the making all the time. There is a lot of love in that building.”

Walking with the King

nettie in her office at her job at City Mission

September 10, 2019

Nettie’s addiction started at a young age. “I grew up with structure. But after Mom died, that structure went away. Dad was working in the steel mill and there was no one to watch the kids. That’s when I started getting into trouble,” she explained. “I got involved in drinking at 12 years old"

"Don't Ever Give Up"

Derek working in the Samaritan Care Center

August 7, 2019

Derek came to City Mission on a cold, rainy day last September. He was walking out in the rain, with nowhere to go and no plan for the future. His health was deteriorating rapidly, and the outlook was bleak. Suddenly, a minivan pulled up out of nowhere, and the driver offered him a ride.

A Year of Hope

July 5, 2019

In the army, Will had a very stressful job, working with explosives. He battled depression and even tried to kill himself, though he does not remember doing it. He was diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and honorably discharged from the Army thinking that his training would gain him a good civilian job. “But I made and detonated bombs in the Army. There’s no steady, civilian job around here like that. I couldn’t get a job, couldn’t provide for my family. All I had to give them was time and energy.”

Finding Hope Again

Richard being interviewed at 101.5 WORD-FM

June 14, 2019

Richard, a former Marine and Vietnam Veteran was living under a bridge in an empty refrigerator box less than a year ago. "I couldn't find work. I have a disability, high blood pressure and diabetes. I was sick and disheartened, I had lost my faith." A friend introduced him to the Crabtree-Kovacicek Veterans House and since coming to the 22-bed shelter for homeless vets his life has been transformed! You can hear Richard tell his story to Biz'Burgh host John Hall on 101.5 WORD-FM.

Kevin - A Veteran - Is Our New Shift Supervisor

Kevin all dressed up i n a suit and tie at a gala event

May 27, 2019

Dr. Michael Crabtree met Kevin only recently, but he’s made a huge difference in Kevin’s life for nearly a year. Kevin, a veteran of the US Navy and the Navy Reserve, was among the very first residents who moved into the Crabtree Kovacicek Veterans House when it opened last July.

Love Thy Neighbor

the sign in the Samaritan Care Center reads - 'give us this day our daily bread'

May 14, 2019

The Samaritan Care Center is a place where our neighbors in need can come and get food items and clothing vouchers to help them get by, but it’s also so much more than that. Here’s what happened there during a week as told by our Samaritan Care Coordinator, Paul Smith:“A young lady named Cathy came and asked if she could stay here today since she needs somewhere to wait for a friend to come and give her a ride. She told me her story and how she is nearly homeless herself. I was able to give her some advice about who to talk to for housing once she starts working.

YOU are Helping Nikki Make a New Start

Nikki at the Women and Children's Shelter

February 28, 2019

Nikki joined our three-week Customer Service and Sales Fundamentals training course and graduated with a certificate from the National Retail Federation. As part of the course, she toured local retail businesses. On the tour at Shop & Save she noticed their bakery, put in an application and was offered a job. She is using her years of experience to decorate specialty cakes and icing donuts and cookies.

From Baseball Star to Prodigal Son

dave reviewing paperwork at his City Mission job

February 1, 2019

“I had the chance to play with some of the best baseball players in the world,” said Dave,a current City Mission resident. As a teenager, Dave played in the Pony League World Series. In high school, he traveled with an all-star team to compete internationally. “It was an experience I’ll never forget,” he said. “Little kids were actually asking for my autograph.” He even earned a full scholarship to play baseball in college. “I always had a mind for the game,” he explained. “I used to listen to every game on the radio with my Grandpa.”

City Mission Resident Returns Home for the Holidays

December 28, 2018

City Mission started a new initiative this holiday season to reach out to the community by serving hot, home-cooked meals to people, outside their walls, who might not otherwise get a good meal for the holidays. This year, they served Thanksgiving dinners to the community at two, off-site locations: Arc Human Services and Thomas Campbell

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

T'kora on a park bench telling her story

October 2, 2018

T’kora grew up in Greenwood, SC. “I really didn’t have a childhood,” she explained. “My Dad took that from me. He was very abusive.”At night, her Dad would have his friends over to the house, and he’d make T’kora and her brother, who was 9 months younger, fight for their entertainment. “His friends would yell and scream. They’d throw money at us and make us hurt each other and hit each other. It ruined my relationship with my brother. We can’t even look at each other."

An Amazing Journey

September 5, 2018

“I’m richer now with nothing than I was when I had everything.” “I’m on an amazing journey right now,” said Ron, a current resident at City Mission. “People here don’t see me as a failure. They look at me like I’m a victor and not a victim. ”Not that long ago, Ron was the General Manager of a car dealership. “I made really good money. I always had a new car to drive, and I was responsible for 87 employees. I’ve been blessed with so many good things in my life, and I’ve ruined them all.

City Mission Residents Go Back to School

Brianna Kadlecik stands at a white-board providing instruction during a classroom session

August 26, 2018

On June 11, the City Mission Career Training and Education Center offered a three-week Customer Service and Sales Fundamentals training course. All three students who took the course successfully completed a National Retail Federation exam and attained a certificate that they can now list on their resumes and present to prospective employers. “We’re trying to show our residents that we can be a really great support system for them,” said Brianna Kadlecik, the Vocational Assistant at City Mission’s Career Training and Education Center.

Grateful for a Second Chance

randy with steve adams - house coordinator of the veterans house

September 3, 2018

The Crabtree -Kovacicek Veterans House is the best place there could be,” Randy said after a week in his new home. “If you’re really looking for help, you can find it here. I’m grateful to God for giving me a second chance at life. This is an answer to prayer.

Childcare at City Mission’s Women with Children Shelter

resident female with her child in the 'Women with Children' Shelter at the city mission

March 19, 2019

Thanks to generous donations, thoughtful planning, and a lot of hard work, City Mission is now equipped to help women with children overcome these barriers and break the cycle of hopelessness and despair.

Jacquie Found Joy at City Mission

Jacquie Found Joy at City Mission

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Grateful Through it All

True Colors

All Bases Covered

"I'm a Real Person Again!"

Robert Breaks Free

Garrick Gets Another Chance

Today I Have Hope

Matt Celebrates Hope

A Life Renewed ... A Family Restored

At a Crossroads

“OVERWHELMED WITH JOY”

Life Changing Call

Living Proof

Knowledge is Power

City Mission Vets Give Back

A New Lease on Life

Coming Home

City Mission Gave Me Hope When I Had No Hope Left

Grateful for Your Kindness

Celebrating Her Blessings

Happy at Last

Tonya's Amazing Story of Hope

A Safe Haven

Walking with the King

"Don't Ever Give Up"

A Year of Hope

Finding Hope Again

Kevin - A Veteran - Is Our New Shift Supervisor

Love Thy Neighbor

YOU are Helping Nikki Make a New Start

From Baseball Star to Prodigal Son

City Mission Resident Returns Home for the Holidays

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

An Amazing Journey

City Mission Residents Go Back to School

Grateful for a Second Chance

Childcare at City Mission’s Women with Children Shelter