The Mission — November 2018

The Mission — November 2018

HOW DID I GET HERE?

Last Christmas was awful. On Christmas day, I took a walk. The streets were empty, just like me. I had no family, no presents, no joy, nothing. How did I get here?

I was born in a home filled with drugs, alcohol, abuse, and violence. I experienced things no child ever should. For three years, I was abused by my uncles. I’ve got scars from my head to my legs, all from my family. So I grew up angry and full of hate. And I spent my life taking it out on everyone I knew.

I did get married, twice, but I lost both because of my anger and emotional abuse…

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The Mission — October 2018

The Mission — September 2018 -- COPY

HE’S NOW ON A MISSION

Thanksgiving was meant to be enjoyed with family and friends.

So what happens when your addiction to drugs has burned all the bridges to the past and now you have nothing?

In Philip’s case, his “rock-bottom moment” prompted him to seek the help that he thought he would never need — before his life got any darker…

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The Mission — September 2018

The Mission — August 2018

REDEEMED!

Kenneth couldn’t take it anymore.

After years of watching his drunken father abuse his mother — sometimes taking the beatings for her — he had enough.

So after mustering all the courage a 13-year-old boy could, he stepped into the middle of another alcohol-fueled beatdown… Read More »

The Mission — August 2018

The Mission — August 2018

DOUBLY DANGEROUS

In a million years, Amanda couldn’t have imagined her life would end up this way. Even though she grew up in a broken home, she shined at everything she tried. She played soccer, sang in the choir, and excelled academically — graduating from high school a year early.

Then she began dating an older guy who introduced her to drugs and alcohol, and her life hit a wall… Read More »

The Mission — July 2018

The Mission — July 2018

TRANSFORMING FAMILIES: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF ABUSE

In late 2007, Krysta hit her proverbial rock bottom with a thud. After a lifetime of instability, abuse, chaos, and drugs, the 27-year-old single mom left her kids with family and called Canyon Country Park, in Santa Clarita, “home.” She spent the next year in yet another abusive relationship, sleeping on the wet ground or in cars, and staying high to avoid the hunger and the misery… Read More »

The Mission — June 2018

The Mission — June 2018

RESCUING THE CHILDREN OF “KID ROW”

The city of Los Angeles is suffering under the weight of an unprecedented crisis of homelessness. Almost 58,000 men, women, and children have no place to call home. “Skid Row is a crazy place,” says Anthony, a 17-year-old youth who lives at Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row with his mom. “When I first got here, I was scared. The things you see outside…kids shouldn’t be seeing that.” Read More »

The Mission — May 2018

The Mission — May 2018

CAN ONE MAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE? GREG DID.

The city of Los Angeles is suffering under the weight of an unprecedented crisis of homelessness. Almost 58,000 men, women, and children have no place to call home, and the vast majority of them are now living in cars, abandoned buildings, tents on sidewalks in parks, and worse.

Many people in Los Angeles think the problem is bad, that there’s nothing they can do. Greg’s life proves them wrong. But he had to stop making excuses before he saw the miracles… Read More »

The Mission — April 2018

The Mission — April 2018

WHEN LOVE IS LOST, LOVE IS THE ANSWER

By the age of 9, everyone Oscar ever loved had died. Drugs helped him stop crying. But would he ever find healing?

“When I was 5 years old, life was good. I was an only child and my parents cherished me. Life was one big party. But the party crashed that year when my mother was murdered. I was too young to understand much about God, but I had issues with Him from that point on. Then it got worse…” Read More »

The Mission — March 2018

The Mission — March 2018

A FAMILY TRANSFORMED BY FAITH — AND YOU!

Every Easter, Christians celebrate the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It’s a powerful story about a tragic, horrifying death and glorious new life. It’s the story of Jesus Christ.

And it’s the story of a 23-year-old single father of three at Union Rescue Mission… Read More »

The Mission — February 2018

The Mission — February 2018

THEY CALL HER MAMA

Marsha was once one of many single mothers experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Today, she’s come full circle.

Her name is Marsha, but everyone on Skid Row called her “Mama.” It’s more than a label or role. “Mama” is a medal of honor covering a scarred heart that beats rivers of compassion for people who live here — especially women. When Mama would walk down these streets, people set aside their pipes and needles, laid down their cigarettes, and stood. Because Mama was walking by… Read More »