Blessed with a second chance
Thanks to YOU, Amanda can say, “I didn’t think I’d get to live a life this beautiful.”
From Amanda’s earliest years, there was something inside her that told her she didn’t belong.
Amanda’s parents showed her love and provided for her. But that didn’t drown out the thoughts and the feelings that she was not accepted and not good enough, no matter how
hard she tried. She became defensive and had a
wave of growing anger inside her. In her early teen years, when we are prone to foolishness, Amanda was desperate to make a name for herself and
find that sense of belonging. Joining the neighborhood gang was her chosen way. Sadly, the consequences of that decision were far-reaching and devastating.
REBELLION
If any word describes Amanda’s youth, it’s rebellious. But that trait brought only upheaval. “I was trying to prove I didn’t need my family,” she says. By age 13, Amanda was using meth. “Everyone got high. It was the environment I grew up in.”
In her late teens, Amanda was kicked out of the house.
Despite the chaos, Amanda managed to graduate
from high school. She worked in retail jobs. “I always worked, even when I was on drugs,” says Amanda. “I was a functioning addict.”
CHANGE IS HARD
Rebellious, materialistic, and desperate for acceptance, Amanda fell into a series of unhealthy relationships with men. One, with a hopeless abuser, hurt her deeply. And while they had a son together, she ended up getting a restraining order against him.
“It’s unreal what the Rescue Mission has done for me.” — Amanda
His mistreatment of her and, especially, losing custody of her son finally opened her eyes to the need for change.
But, she discovered, change is hard. Amanda says, “I thought, I’ll get it together.” Nothing worked, until she came to the Rescue Mission. Here she was offered a new life, more than just the help to stay off of drugs. And most important to her, after many months of hard work, she regained custody of her son.
GROWING STRONGER
Today, thanks to your support, Amanda has a different life. “I’m blessed,” she says. “The Rescue Mission has helped me heal from my trauma and grow stronger.”
She has also encountered God. “With all I’ve been through,” she says, “I didn’t really believe there was a God. I wish I could have seen it all sooner.”
You also helped Amanda prepare for meaningful
work that pays a living wage. The Village of Hope staff encouraged her to not settle for the typical job someone with her background could get, but to reach further. And now, Amanda is employed full-time and on a career path, something she never thought would be possible.
As she thinks about her life-transforming experience at the Rescue Mission, Amanda can say, “Even though it was hard, I’m so grateful. I’ve been blessed with a second chance. I didn’t think I’d get to live a life this beautiful.”
