In one horrible flash — one terrible moment of realization — Tamara suddenly knew: 
​Her addiction was out of control.
 
While it was true that she had been an addict for most of her life, Tamara was what you would call “functioning.” She managed to hold down a job, care for her nephew, the son of her incarcerated brother – she even attended church. She was one of the few who could keep her cravings in check, all the while covering everything up.

But then, when she was 33, a few of her girlfriends introduced her to a new “friend:” Meth.
 
Tamara entered a whole new world. She knew this drug would wreck her life. To this day, she remembers whispering a prayer, with the meth-pipe in her hand: “God, you have to come and do something, because I like this.”
 
Nine years later, you wouldn’t have recognized her: She was broken down. She’d been fired ­– again. She’d sold off all her possessions just to buy meth and stay high. She was homeless and utterly addicted. The word she used to describe herself: “worthless.”
 
For a time, she survived by driving prostitutes to and from their appointments. “I was homeless, broken-hearted, broken down,” Tamara says. Seemingly beyond hope – Tamara sometimes slept in her mother’s car. Some nights an acquaintance would let her sleep on their couch.
 
Only God can help me, she thought, because I’ve been so ugly.
 
“I gave up,” she recalls.
 
But God didn’t.
 
She remembered, that since she was little, her parents took her to church and taught her about God. Now, scraping the very bottom of life’s barrel, Tamara reached up to God one more time. On this desperate day, she knew that if God didn’t answer her prayer, the drugs were going to kill her.
 
“I don’t want to die like this,” she prayed. “I don’t want to be smoking a bowl when you sound that trumpet. I want to be free.”
 
And God did answer her prayer — with three simple words: “Gospel Rescue Mission.”
 
She had actually called us before, more than once, looking for a place to sleep. But every time, our women’s shelter facilities were at full capacity. “No room at the inn.” Then one day, Tamara somehow worked up enough faith to give it one more try.
 
“Lord, if it’s easy to get in, I’ll know it’s you speaking to me,” Tamara prayed. “If it’s hard, I don’t know what I’m going to do. But you said you’d never leave me or forsake me, so I’m going to call.”
 
“Can you come in Wednesday?” Stephanie asked (a graduate of the women’s recovery program) Tamara was so astonished, she had to ask the woman to repeat herself! On Wednesday, Tamara got another shock: She learned about our addiction recovery program that she had never known about. “God, this is you!” she exclaimed. “This is all you!”
 
Today, nearly a year later, Tamara has a new relationship with her mom. (They have a lovely routine: Tamara visits her on Sundays, cooks dinner for her, and spends time with her. Her mom often tells her how proud she is of her!)
 ​

Today you can help change the lives of others like Tamara. When you donate, not only is your gift tax-deductible, it also helps us minister to people in desperate need of a new chance at life. Thank you in advance and God bless you!

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.
​

“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.

She was working so hard.... So dedicated to her kids.... Working 50+ hours a week, to provide for her family. Emotionally and physically, Sheri was a maxed-out mom. 

But then her own mother was diagnosed with a grave illness; one that required serious care. Nobody else in the family was in a position to step up and Sheri couldn’t let her mother suffer alone. So she made the sacrifice and added “caregiver” to her list of responsibilities – but it was too much...

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.

The support of our donors, volunteers, and staff helped Pam find sobriety and salvation, but it didn’t end there... ​

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.'