“We’d been homeless off and on for four or five years. We went from the homes of family members to the houses of friends,” Sharon says. “I remember times when I didn’t have any money and my son was hungry. I didn’t know how I was going to feed or clothe him.
“My son would cry and ask me, ‘Mama, are things going to get better?’
“At one point we were staying at a house where the only utility they had was water. I didn’t want my son living like that. So finally I just broke down and said I’ll go to a shelter and see if I can get on my feet, establish some housing, and get a good job.”
DRMM—a place of safe refuge, warmth, and love
Sharon and her son, Christopher, found their way to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), one of the few places in the Detroit area able to accept homeless women with children. It was not easy for Sharon to walk through our doors and ask for help, but out of love for her son, she did it.
The welcome she and Christopher received astonished her.
With kindness and compassion, our staff listened to Sharon’s struggles . . . and her hopes and dreams. In no time, the little family was set up in a nice, clean room of their own in our women and children’s center.
A Christmas celebration like no other
But with Christmas fast approaching, Sharon felt anxiety build within her.
Living in a shelter, with no job and no money, how could she make Christmas special for her little boy?
Sharon couldn’t have known how friends like you go the extra mile to make the holidays special for people who are lost, broken, and struggling to rebuild their lives. But she knows now!
“I didn’t think my son was going to have much of a Christmas, but it was amazing,” she recalls. “There were donated toys for the kids and the adults got beautiful baskets filled with towels and toiletries. There were parties. We really enjoyed being here at Christmas.”
The recipe for a fresh start in life
DRMM staff put Sharon on a fast track to build her confidence, skill set, and ultimately a secure and independent life for her and her son. In just 10 months, Sharon had secured a job and a home she and Christopher could call their own!
With tears in her eyes, Sharon expressed her gratitude for the generosity and compassion of DRMM’s staff and supporters like you, “Thank you so much. We were able to get shelter, and I got the help I needed to set and accomplish my goals. This place has been a blessing to me and I plan to come back and be a blessing to others, too.”
On behalf of homeless women and children, like Sharon and Christopher, please share a special gift today so others can experience the love and mercy of Christ this Christmas.