Diana felt overwhelmed, frustrated, and angry. She had suffered years of sexual abuse as a child, then years of rejection and abandonment by her family. Now 25, she was a victim of domestic violence, and she was trying to raise two young boys diagnosed with autism. She simply didn’t know how to cope and turned to alcohol. “Alcohol became my only friend,” she recalls. Before long, her drinking cost her jobs, homes—and, finally, custody of her sons. “That’s when I learned what heartbreak really was. I felt like my life was over.”
Resurrected From Death to a New Life
Diana Thanks
YOU for Her New
Chance at Life!
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INSIDE THIS NEWSLETTER
“Every day, they kept telling me that I was loved and worthy.” —Diana
In 2019, Diana finally hit bottom. Beatings, rape, and alcohol left her severely depressed and hopeless. She desperately wanted to turn her life around—and get her children back. “I just surrendered everything to God,” she says. “I got into a program, got sober, and the Lord drew me closer and closer to Him.” In October 2020, she moved into Hope Gardens, where she continued to grow in faith and strength, while the staff at Hope Gardens helped her in the long process of getting her kids back. “Every day, they kept telling me that I was loved and worthy,” she says. “They kept working with me, helping me, advocating for me.”
Finally, in July 2021, the big day came. She was granted custody of her two sons and brought them to live with her at Hope Gardens. But her journey was just beginning. She was a young mother, still new in her faith and sobriety, and was experiencing homelessness while trying to raise two boys with autism. “I loved them very much, but I started to feel overwhelmed,” she says. “It was more than I anticipated. Sometimes the anxiety was crippling. It was a big learning process for both Hope Gardens and me because we all felt out of our depth.” The Hope Gardens staff was determined to do everything possible for Diana and her boys. They supported Diana emotionally and spiritually. They got to know her sons and their special needs and included them in all the activities for the kids.
“Hope Gardens gave me the support system I desperately needed. I felt so much peace,” she says. “Above all, they made me and my boys feel loved.” Today, Diana is working a new job as a volunteer coordinator of Union Rescue Mission’s Angeles House, and she’s deeply grateful for Hope Gardens and the donors who support it. “When I couldn’t believe in myself anymore when I felt totally alone, I found people who prayed for me, supported me, and loved me. They showed me God . . . in ways I could never imagine.”
Thank YOU for supporting Union Rescue Mission, Hope Gardens,
and Angeles House.
Your support saves mothers and children
devastated by homelessness.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” —Isaiah 60:1
The Family Programs at Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens are designed to help single mothers gain the skills, support, and necessary resources to recover from past trauma, raise their children healthy and whole, help them plan for the future, and prepare to maintain permanent housing. The spiritual and emotional support we provide is critical for every mother we serve, but it is especially important for the increasing numbers of mothers who come with children who have special needs. Every day, your support helps equip more precious mothers and children—once devastated by homelessness—with faith, courage, hope, and the real skills they need to build a new life for themselves and to raise their children healthy and whole.
Join our Union Fellowship
and Give Monthly
Men, women, children, and families devastated by homelessness need a hero. They need some like YOU! Join our Union Fellowship and commit to giving monthly to walk alongside neighbors in need and help them experience new life— today and for eternity. You’ll receive: As a member of Union Fellowship who gives monthly, you’ll receive:
• Access to public readings of Scripture, Chapel Tuesday, and graduation events
• Monthly meetings with scripture reading and prayer
• The joy of being part of someone’s spiritual transformation
• A special gift—the second comic in our “Love Like a Hero” series, showing how an ordinary person can be a superhero in the fight against homelessness Join the Fellowship and sign up today!
Join the Walk to Fight Homelessness
We need you!
Join CEO Andy Bales and Union Rescue Mission for our annual
5k walk to provide a safe haven and life transformation for those
devastated by homelessness on Skid Row.
The walk begins at 9:30 am at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Registration begins at 8:00 am.
Please visit urmwalk.org for race details and to sign up!
Bless a Mom on mothers day
This Mother’s Day, you can encourage another hurting mom like Diana. Moms devastated by homelessness are often traumatized by abuse, and struggling with addictions, and some bear the overwhelming challenge of raising kids with special needs. Give to Help Another Mom Off the Streets. Your generous gift of $25, $35, $100, or more will help provide safe shelter, hot meals, and a second chance at life for more mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters who deserve more than abandonment on the streets. So please send the more generous gift you can today.
NOTES FROM ANDY
Stepping Up to Meet the Challenge
Diana and her two sons, Justice and Jackson, have a special place in my heart. I have a 7-year-old grandson myself who’s nonverbal and autistic. So I know the challenges that Diana is facing—and I know the extraordinary love and commitment she has for her boys. Today, at Hope Gardens, there are more families with kids who have special needs than ever before. Many are on the spectrum of autism, while others are experiencing posttraumatic stress, ADHD, and many other issues. The heroic mothers of these children need extra support and understanding. It also puts extra pressure on our staff to be the hands and feet of Jesus in new ways. At the same time, these precious children need extra attention and specialized care. So, we’re holding workshops and in-depth training so our staff can meet their needs. We’re also building relationships with regional resources to better support these families. That’s why I’m so grateful for people like you, who know the overwhelming needs we’re facing and yet always rise up to help us step up. Thanks to you, we will never turn a family with special needs away