"Thank you to the Mission for helping to completely change my life and thank you for donating from the generosity of your heart!"

Mar 11, 2024

My name is Santana, and I grew up in Puerto Rico. I moved to New York in 1994, but my family life was very disruptive and dysfunctional. I always knew that something felt “off”, but I couldn’t really figure out what the truth was. Eventually, I found out that the man my mother said was my father was not my true father. She had been lying to me my whole life. All I needed was real love from my mother, and I wanted her to apologize for how much she hurt me. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere, so I decided to go out on my own when I turned 13.


Though now I can see that God carried me through every stage of my life, I had to go through some tough times. I turned to drugs to help me cope with being alone. I started struggling with PTSD and my mental health. I fell into the wrong crowd because I was looking for the acceptance and love that I never got growing up. I didn’t believe in God, and I felt like I was better off figuring things out by myself.


Seven years ago, I made the decision to get clean because I knew my drug use was negatively impacting my life. I thank God that I have been able to stay clean. I moved to Rhode Island three years ago to try and reconcile with my mother, but it didn’t work out. I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. My doctor gave me some information about the Mission and told me that they had a shelter there. I didn’t know if there would be any long-term solutions for me there, but I decided to go for just one night and see what happened.


Once I got there, I quickly learned about the Road to Recovery Men’s Program. When I heard about it, my heart started racing and I knew I was supposed to sign up. I felt like God had sent me there to clear up a lot of issues in my life that I was confused about. Once I started, I could see the work that God was doing in me, and I didn’t want to give up. Now, 11 months later, I am so glad that I stayed. The Mission brought me back to church and reestablished my relationship with God. When I started applying the lessons I learned in the classes and in counseling, I started to see a difference in myself. I see now how His grace carried me through all those difficult

times that I couldn’t see my way out of. God has given me the family that I have been looking for my entire life at the Mission. I don’t take any of my blessings for granted now. I never want to go backwards to where I came from, and I know that starts with fixing myself and the issues that brought me here.


I’m almost finished with the program, and I am currently completing my internship as a resident assistant in the shelter. I love helping people because I can relate to where they have been. I want to show them that this is not all there is for them. There is more to life than dealing with drugs, trauma, and other life altering issues. I want to show everyone who comes here the love of Christ. Your donations are making a difference in helping people just like me. I am an example of the life-changing work that the Mission does! Thank you to the Mission for helping to completely change my life and thank you for donating from the generosity of your heart!

"I could never have imagined the life that I am living now: 6 years free of addiction and full of hope!"

25 Jul, 2023
Hi, my name is Jennifer, and my story has been anything but what you would consider easy. Growing up, I faced every form of abuse you could possibly imagine. After a lifetime of being violated and hurt, I decided at the age of 17 that I wanted nothing to do with God at all because if He really loved me, He wouldn’t have put me through all that. I was so angry, and I felt like I could handle life better on my own. After getting married and giving birth to my daughter, I became addicted to the pain pills the doctor gave me while recovering from my c-section. This began many years of chaos and turmoil as my life fell into shambles. I completely lost my relationship with my daughter, McKenzie. All the while the unresolved trauma from my past fed my addiction and I felt like I just couldn’t stop. However, I now see that God saw me in my despair. After surviving human trafficking, overdose, and a lifestyle of destruction I found myself in prison. As soon as I was released, I completed another residential recovery program in Rhode Island. There I learned how much God loved me and for the first time found myself staying clean from harmful substances. However, the Lord was still not done working on me, and my journey was only beginning. Eighteen months into my recovery, I suffered a life-altering injury when I shattered my knee in four places. I was in and out of hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabs for months. I felt depression and darkness overcome me as I couldn’t figure out how I could possibly move on from this. It seemed as though God had abandoned me again. It wasn’t until one Sunday at church when someone gave me the name of Marbeth Carew, the Director of the Women’s Program at the Mission, and said they were hiring. The Lord showed me that he had an amazing purpose for me and opened all the doors for me to take on a position in ministry there. Since coming to the Mission in 2019, I have experienced so much growth in every aspect of my life. I have never felt like just another employee on a list. Sean and Marbeth have invested so much time and energy into my spiritual and emotional growth by encouraging me to seek Christian counseling, walking me through the Genesis Process, and pouring truth and wisdom into my life. They have been with me every step of the way, and I cannot even begin to describe how my relationship with my daughter McKenzie has transformed in the past four years. I was given the space and time to prioritize the restoration of our mother daughter relationship. The Mission has 100% made it possible for that to happen. We now see each other often, talk every single day, and the relationship that we have now feels as though we never lost those years due to my addiction. She now tells me that she looks up to me! Wow! I never thought I would hear her say that. I am so thankful to my leadership for giving me hard truths, lessons, and knowledge to navigate these new phases in my life. I have so much love for Sean, Marbeth, and the Mission. I truly believe that the Lord led me here in a time of deep darkness. I now work as the Development Coordinator at the Mission, overseeing fundraising and planning events. God has provided the means for me to have my own apartment and my own car, something that I never thought would be attainable for me. I could never have imagined this life that I am living now: six years free of addiction, full of hope, and having a true, genuine relationship with my daughter. I want to thank all of you who donate to the Mission to make stories like mine possible. I feel so grateful and blessed! Thank you!

"The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family!"

10 Apr, 2023
My name is Kelsey, and I am so blessed to be able to share my story with you. I am a graduate of another recovery program in Rhode Island. When I graduated from that facility, I thought I had dealt with all my past issues and trauma. I soon realized that there was some more struggles I must work through. I became pregnant soon after leaving the program, and I didn’t know where to turn. I had spent a lifetime in dysfunctional and abusive relationships, it was all I knew. Thankfully, God gave me my now fiancé Darnell, who taught me what a healthy relationship can be. After I gave birth to my son, I lost my father in a tragic accident. I was deeply struggling with postpartum depression and didn’t know how to cope with the loss of my dad. While I stayed clean from my previous drugs of choice, I didn’t know how to go on with my life and turned to alcohol. When my children were removed from my care as a result of my drinking, I knew I had to get my life under control. I got sober and turned to my church for support. However, I still lacked the financial resources to fully provide for my children. I regained custody of my kids in December of 2022. I was so excited, but I didn’t have the means to provide Christmas for them. The Mission gave me everything I needed to give my family a great holiday. The best part for me was, that my kids didn’t know any of their gifts came from the Mission, they just knew that Santa came! The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family. They have provided food and clothing during many times when it was simply hard to make ends meet. To have somewhere to turn when I was at a very low point in my life was honestly a gift from God. To everyone who donates to the Mission, I want to thank you for making a way to help people who are struggling. In a time when everyone is having to make tough financial choices, you are still choosing to help others and I am so grateful. Thank you!
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