Erin never expected to be living in a motel alone, watching her last bit of money dry up.

She lay awake at night in terror, unsure of where she could turn for help.

From experiencing trauma and emotional neglect in her childhood to being overwhelmed in her marriage, Erin struggled to hold on to hope.

“I grew up with every type of abuse you could think of,” she says. “I’d been told I was unlovable.”

Years after moving out of state to live near her husband’s family, she often felt crippled by anxiety and depression, which fueled her isolation. Functioning in daily life felt impossible with her increasing concerns over the challenges of her family’s crumbling health and well-being. She was caught in the cycle of mental health challenges and had nothing to grab hold of to free herself from it.

So, Erin hospitalized herself for a time to get the help she needed, not knowing she would be met with divorce papers and a restraining order to keep her from seeing her children when she was ready to go home.

She hasn’t seen her two sons since.

Erin moved back to California, looking to rebuild her life. But starting over in Orange County was too high of a mountain to climb after all the adversities she experienced.

Then, because of your support, Erin found the Rescue Mission online as she desperately searched for help.

“I know God led me here,” she says. “This place saved my life.”

Today, through therapy and loss groups, job-skills training, and Christ-centered friendships, Erin is finding lasting healing.

She got baptized and prays daily for her sons to know Jesus, anticipating the day she can be in their lives again.

Your generosity is breaking the cycle of homelessness and despair for others just like Erin.

When she came to the Rescue Mission, Erin was just days away from running out of money for another night in a motel. But friends like YOU prevented her from ending up on the streets.

Just when she needed hope the most, you stood in the gap, and we cannot thank you enough.