“I’ve looked for peace my whole life, and I never thought I find it,” Michelle says. She twists her hands and her voice is soft–but it is strong. 

A struggle with alcoholism led her into homelessness. She knew there was a God, but she wasn’t sure He cared. Desperate and living on the streets, she cried out to God anyway, just in case.

She ended up at John 3:16 Mission’s women’s residential recovery program, Renew. Before she got here, she said, “I didn’t trust anybody.” But now she has a team of mentors in Renew, and she says, “I have no problem talking with any of them about anything.” A year into the program, she’s sober, hopeful, and she loves reading her Bible. “It excites me,” she says. “I can’t wait to see what will happen when I turn the page.”

Michelle is looking ahead to a successful life beyond Renew. She’s working toward a career caring for the elderly, and she knows the support from John 3:16 Mission staff won’t end when she graduates. “That’s what makes our programs different from a lot of other ones,” Michelle says. Even after a student graduates, “they’ll always take your phone call.”

Michelle found peace, and she’s ready for a real future–and it’s happening because kind neighbors like you are donating to support the work of John 3:16 Mission