Stories that Inspire.

Victories to Celebrate.

‘The shelter didn’t just save my life, it helped me rebuild it’

Candice and her daughter are now both safe and healthy.

Candice never imagined herself in a shelter.

“I was in a relationship, living with my partner, and everything seemed okay—until it wasn’t,” she said. “Things got toxic. I was thrown out. Suddenly, I had nowhere to go, and I was pregnant.”

Candice found herself living in her car during her pregnancy, each day more uncertain than the last. An apartment she was supposed to move into kept getting delayed. As her due date neared, her fear grew.

“I needed the help because I didn’t have enough time before giving birth to get to the place I was supposed to get into,” she said. “I was struggling, scared, and homeless. It was a rough time.”

Candice arrived at the Mission just days after giving birth. “When I had nowhere else to turn, the shelter became my lifeline. With my newborn daughter just 5 days old, I was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty, but the moment I walked through those doors, I found something I hadn’t felt in a long time—safety.”

The shelter gave Candice more than a bed, it gave her the opportunity to breathe, to heal, and to be a mother.

“Being here meant I had the time I needed for the apartment to become available,” she said. “And I needed to find a place for my newborn. It was such a blessing not to have to worry about money or a place to stay while I had my baby.”

The Mission gave Candice the chance to be present for her daughter in the earliest, most precious moments. “As a mother, I wanted to spend as much time with my baby as possible. Even though the circumstance wasn’t great because I was homeless, living at the shelter allowed me to spend the most crucial parts of her life with her.”

From warm meals to kind smiles, everything at the Mission reminded her that she wasn’t alone. “The homecooked meals they provided each day did more than nourish my body, they gave me the strength I needed to be the mother my baby deserved. Every smile, every act of kindness, every comforting word made me feel like I was part of a family.

“In a time when I felt most alone, the Mission embraced us with love and dignity. They didn’t just save my life; they helped me begin to rebuild it.”

Today, Candice is no longer at the shelter. She’s living with a friend, another new mom, and figuring out her next steps. “It’s been nice to explore motherhood together,” she smiled. “It’s not exactly how I pictured this season of life, but I’m grateful. I no longer need to be in a shelter, because the shelter put me in a place where I could move on from it.”

She wants donors to know their support truly matters. “To someone who has the means to donate, you’re putting your money in the right place. You’re supporting people and families who never expected to be in this position and who have flourished on the help that you have provided.”

As for Candice? “If I ever have anything of value, it’s going straight to the Mission.”

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