Early last year, we shared the story of Francine Lopez and her children, Moses, 18, and Helena, 10, who moved into the Mission in August 2016. Francine had taken her children and left a domestic violence situation, only to find herself homeless. In the midst
of their struggles, Moses was in treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Throughout their time at the Mission, the Lopez family was an inspiration to us all. Francine worked hard for her family and Moses saw positive progress in his treatment.

Recently, Francine stopped by the Mission and was able to share her story with our current families. “I’m incredibly grateful to my family at the Mission for allowing me the opportunity to have a second chance at life,” Francine said. She shared that while at the Mission, she was able to find a stable place for her family to start again. Francine was employed through our partnership with Ralphs and was able to work her way up into management. The increase in pay and benefits helped her secure stable housing for her family. Now, almost a year later, she was able to return to her original profession; she is a surgical technician at a local hospital. Francine also shared that her son, Moses, has won his battle against cancer.

We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the successes of the Lopez family and we hope that their story inspires others in our program to dream big for their futures.