Faith was aptly named.

From the moment she was born prematurely with only about a 5 percent chance of survival, her life has been one step of faith after another. Despite the odds, Faith’s mother believed she would survive and gave her the powerful name. She spent three months in the hospital but lived!

For much of her adult life, Faith worked as a nanny. Then her mother died, followed by her father. Faith felt so alone but kept moving forward. After that, Faith got so sick that she couldn’t walk. She was hospitalized for a month, but survived. Placing her trust in God, she began rehabilitation that lasted six months. During this time, Faith was unable to work and pay her rent. She lost her apartment and was locked out of all her belongings.

In the middle of the pandemic, Faith found herself homeless. She had no money, no job, no clothes, and still struggled to walk. The 51-year-old was almost out of faith. Then friends like you gave her the gift of a lifetime – renewed faith. The frightened woman came to the Mission with nothing and found kindness and help provided by friends like you. “I was given clothes and three meals a day with homemade food,” she recalls. “I feel like I belong, like I’m home here. This place saved my life.”

Today, Faith is taking the next step in her journey. She is walking now! She is also working toward living independently in her own home. She paints and writes and enjoys reading at the Mission’s library. Your support of our programs gave Faith a new beginning full of hope. She is even looking forward to Christmas this year and knows she won’t be alone. Faith says the holidays at the Mission are a blessing. “The staff and volunteers really make you feel special,” she says. Your continued support of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries this holiday season will give others like Faith the gift of a lifetime! It starts with a hot meal and safe shelter.

Read more inspirational stories from the Holiday 2021 Newsletter.

At 6 foot 7, Terry doesn’t just stand, he towers. His strong physical appearance, however, covers the pain he feels inside. “After all I’ve been through, I consider myself broken,” Terry shares.

The 54-year-old explains that he struggles with mental health, alcohol abuse and anger issues, admitting that he tried committing suicide nine times. In addition to self-inflicted injuries — like cutting his wrists and taking over 100 pills at a time — Terry has been arrested, shot and miraculously survived two comas. “I’ve lived under bridges and survived by eating out of garbage cans,” he shares. “My life has been like chasing the devil. I gave out a lot of times.”

Thanks to friends like you, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is here for hurting people like Terry. We want to help rebuild lives, one step at a time. It often starts with a nutritious meal or a night of shelter. The life-changing programs and counseling resources help people like Terry turn their lives around. “Now, I attend three meetings a day at the Mission and have a one-on-one with a counselor,” Terry says. “The Mission is helping me to think differently.”

The program classes give Terry insight into new behavior and how to change habits and bad influences. Terry has also embarked on a spiritual journey at the Mission. “Faith don’t make things easy, but it makes things possible!” he says. “Even though I pursued the devil, love won. I’m reaching for a better life now.” Terry says he wants to continue focusing on sobriety and begin helping others find a better life also. Thank you for your continued support that makes stories like Terry’s happen. Together, we are building a better community . . . one life at a time!

Read more inspirational stories from the Fall 2021 Newsletter.

Summer is upon us, bringing thousands of people through the Mission doors each day, including families with little children . . .

That’s because when school is out, many boys and girls lose access to the meals they need and rely on. Their parents, whose budgets are already spread thin, struggle to put food on the table.

Other neighbors in need have lost paychecks and jobs as part of the lingering economic impact of the pandemic.

The need is so great, that the Mission must be prepared to serve nearly 4,000 meals EVERY DAY this summer.

Chandra, a neighbor who turned to us for help, recently shared a heartbreaking story. She was swindled by her landlord and evicted from her home—in the middle of the pandemic!

Thanks to support from friends who support DRMM, we were able to offer her safe shelter, meals, and much more while she rebuilt her life.

She says, “I was homeless during the pandemic. I had nowhere to go, nothing to eat. They fed me here at DRMM. It was only through the grace of God I made it through.”

For the sake of neighbors like Chandra—including hungry children and their frightened parents, seniors, veterans, and others—please make a gift right now to provide meals, help, and hope for people in great need now and all summer long.

Thank you for giving generously now to help care for our most vulnerable neighbors, making them stay Safe Over Summer!