A Cry for Help—and a Life Made New

By the time of this interview, Candace was caring for three beautiful children. As a single mother, she balanced employment, childcare, and the constant pressure of securing stable housing. Near the end of her most recent pregnancy, she had to leave work earlier than planned. Eventually, she couldn’t keep up with the bills and moved her family into a hotel.

Before coming to Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM), she sought help at another shelter. They were the ones who encouraged her to come to GRM.

That step changed everything. When she arrived, she immediately noticed that GRM was program-based. She worried about how she would feed her children, but as she shared, they “set us up on breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” which felt like an enormous blessing.

As a single mom, she spoke about the daily struggle of riding the bus with a stroller that wasn’t even a true double stroller—managing babies, bags, and bus schedules that didn’t match real life.

Then God opened another door through GRM. In the middle of the struggle, through the generosity of a wonderful donor, Candace received a car. When asked what that meant to her, she almost didn’t have words. “That definitely changes a lot,” she said. No more fighting the bus with a heavy stroller and two babies. No more being late because the route didn’t align with her responsibilities. No more long walks in the dark with newborns. She shared that having a car “opens up the door for more opportunity.”

When asked what advice she would give to other mothers who are struggling, she said, “Just to stay focused, keep your head down and do what you gotta do. And always pray. Definitely, pray.”

Today, Candace is back at work, raising her children, driving her new car, and leaning on Jesus as she builds a stable future for her family.