Upon arriving at our shelter a few weeks ago, I entered the living room to find Mary sitting on our sofa. She had just spent her first night with us after several nights on the streets. Mary seemed sad and I asked her if she was okay. “I’m okay,” she said. “Very grateful, that’s all.” It is not a stretch to imagine that Mary felt scared and vulnerable as a young woman sleeping on the streets in Los Angeles.

Later, as I walked through our dining room, I was introduced to a young mother and her 4-year-old daughter who had just moved in. They were eating lunch and giggling together. Moments like these happen every day at the Mission as we stay committed to providing people with refuge, recovery, and restoration.