Christmas will be here before you know it, and for as many as 300 families who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, it will be just another day of hunger and hardship.

That’s why DRMM is asking friends like you to share your blessings by adopting a family who is in need and providing them with gifts of warm clothes, books, and other important items to help make their Christmas merry.

Adopt a family who is in need now by contacting our Volunteer Coordinator, Jamie McMillen, at jmcmillen@drmm.org, or by calling 313-993-4700, extension 4723. For important dates and deadlines, please contact Jamie McMillen.

Life was a blur for Lakita when she first came through the doors here at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM). She knew she needed help but she didn’t know where or how to begin to unravel all the awful things that had taken over her life.

The day we met her, Lakita had just worn out her welcome with the only family member who had wanted anything to do with her. The streets would be her home that night.

Worse still, she had lost custody of her children. And that loss was so painful to bear that it was the catalyst that led Lakita to ask for our help.

She told us she wanted to quit drugs, rebuild her life, and become a productive and independent member of society. But most of all, she wanted to reclaim her children and give them a real, loving home. “I want to live for my children and not for myself,” Lakita says.

We took Lakita in and gave her a safe place to call home while she began treatment for her addiction. We also gave her the tools she needed to change her life from the ground up. It wasn’t easy, but her commitment was strong and bolstered by newfound faith in Christ.

Today, Lakita is working and living independently. The 30-minute commute to her job via public transportation was grueling, especially during the bitter cold of winter, but she never complained.

So you can imagine Lakita’s surprise and joy the day Chad Audi, DRMM’s President, made the gift of a car to make her life a little easier. The car had been gifted to DRMM for just that purpose—to help someone like Lakita make the leap from homelessness and helplessness, to independence.

Lakita is still in the process of getting her children back, but she knows they will be back with her soon and has built a proper home for them she can’t wait to share.

Of her many blessings, Lakita is especially thankful for the gifts and prayers of friends like you who made her fresh start in life possible. “You help a lot of men, women, and children. Your donations are not in vain, they do so much good in so many ways,” she says.

A year ago, Tiffany and her two children were on the brink of homelessness, staying on and off with family members in between shelter visits. Then six months ago, she was welcomed into Genesis House II—DRMM’s Transitional Housing Program for women and children.

Since then, Tiffany has welcomed twins to her family. Thanks to the support of generous friends like you, Tiffany has found secure and stable housing while also ensuring her children have opportunities for development and growth.

“This [transitional] housing shelter has really been a blessing.” Tiffany said. “Since I’ve been here, people have really been helping me. They really care—with their hearts. I’ve really been blessed with a nice case manager and she really takes to heart [my situation].”

One of the many support services DRMM provides for families like Tiffany’s is our after-school youth program— Build Detroit Youth Mission.

Launched in January 2016, the Build Detroit Youth Mission provides at-risk children and teens opportunities for tutoring, mentoring, character development, and learning activities that bolster academic success and encourage better decision making. The program helps children pursue their dreams, while providing the tools they’ll need to excel in school.

Tiffany has been very encouraged by how her children, Brittany, 5, and Carla, 3, have responded to the program. “Every Thursday at 5:30 p.m., someone comes and reads to my children,” she says. “It makes me feel great that someone is working with me and my kids because, you know it takes a village to raise a child. I’m grateful they go out of their way just to read to my kids. Education and reading and practice is needed before they go to school, so I’m really thankful.”

Tiffany and her children will move to their new apartment by the end of this month, and are excited to start their new life. Special thanks to all of DRMM’s donors and volunteers who helped provide the tools and resources needed to help this family during a time of crisis while fostering independent and stable living.

Visit our website for more information about DRMM’s Build Detroit Youth Mission.

Take DRMM’s online Survival Challenge and find out how long you would last if the unthinkable happened to you—your house burned down, you were forced to flee an abusive relationship, or you lost your home in foreclosure.

As a valued partner of DRMM, you know that people of all ages and from all walks of life experience homelessness. Through this Survival Challenge you, your friends, and loved ones can test your ability to survive when everything is going wrong.

Visit RealLifeDetroit.org and take DRMM’s Survival Challenge to see how you fare when life is unfair.