God in His mercy led Bill to Gospel Rescue Mission. And thanks to the generous support of caring friends like you, we were here for him. We welcomed him, gave him a place to sleep, clothes and meals — and we introduced him to the love of Jesus, the only power that could really change his life.

Bill isn’t the last one who will need us, though. Another desperate, downtrodden, downhearted soul will show up on our doorstep tomorrow.

Bill’s story is just one great example of how a life can change, even when things seem hopeless. He entered our recovery program and enrolled in our “Genesis” discipleship program. In the days that followed, he was amazed to finally discover what started his downhill slide in the first place: he witnessed a traumatic event involving his family that he had to keep a secret. This resulted in him living with fear and anxiety and, at times, physical abuse because of what he had witnessed.

Bill had grown up as a prisoner of fear. His instinctive response was to push himself to succeed in business and find his identity there. So when success eluded him, Bill self-destructed.

This breakthrough insight set him on the road to a whole new life.

Here at the Mission, Bill discovered that God never intended him to find his identity in status as a business owner, or in financial success. God designed him to find his identity in Jesus Christ, as a reflection of God’s love.
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“At my worst I would go through 10-15 tall boys and a 30 pack of beer every day. I must have spent $700 or more on alcohol every month,” Roberto admits.

His addiction cost him his home, his job, even his relationship with his wife and daughter who, when we met him, he hadn’t spoken to in six years. It was only when he finally wore out his welcome sleeping on people’s couches, that he found himself at the doors of the Gospel Rescue Mission.

The plan was to sleep, shower, and sober up in hopes of finding work. But with his alcoholism still unresolved, there was little hope that Roberto’s plan would be successful – and God knew it. Soon after he arrived, changes in the fire safety codes reduced our men’s shelter capacity from 130 beds to just 55. Suddenly Roberto was one of over a hundred men that found themselves out on the streets with nowhere to go.

It’s not fair, but we all tend to do it....
When we see someone missing teeth, we tend to “label” them... We somehow tend to think of them as unintelligent... unprofessional... even untrustworthy. No, it doesn’t really make sense, logically. But most of us do it.
​That’s what happened to Jonathan. He was still just a young boy when he fell in with the wrong crowd. He started putting substances in his body. Soon he was a full-fledged addict. Year after year, he battled his addictions ... and lost.

If someone were to ask, "What’s the best thing about a traditional holiday meal?" At first, some might think, “The food.” But really, when you get right down to it, no matter what the menu is ... the best thing about it probably isn’t the food ... It’s the love.

It’s the people around the table, who love you. It’s the sharing. The chatter. The laughter. That “full feeling” — not just after a big meal...  that feeling that life is good... it’s complete... it’s full of God’s blessings.

Some folks haven’t felt such a feeling in a long, long time... folks that maybe made some bad decisions along they way and ended up in a tight spot. That's what happened to Art, but things were going ok he thought. He was living with his daughter and her husband. Then, one night, there was a conflict...

Who do you think of when you hear the words "Gospel Rescue Mission"?

Does the face of an older, bearded man with shaggy clothes come to mind? The typical homeless person you see in movies and TV shows? 

​Whomever it is, the last person you probably would think of is a young man in his twenties we’ve nicknamed 'Cowboy Gabe.'

Four years of misuse of pain pills coupled with use of meth had my life way off track. My priorities got all turned around. It got to the point where I was focused on me and only me. I was a very selfish person. Because of my selfishness, my wife and children suffered. I lost the woman I loved, my children, and my home. Through all my addictions, I lost the most important thing –  my dignity and my self-respect. But, thank God, Heaven has a lost and found.
God had brought me to complete brokenness. He brought me to my knees and He brought me to a place I’ll never forget on September 1, 2012 – Gospel Rescue Mission.