“God made me for a purpose.”
For most of her life, Evita never knew what it felt like to have a safe place to call home. Just 5 years old when her mother went to prison, Evita grew up moving from foster home to foster home… where abuse often followed.
“It was just horrible,” she remembers. “I ended up running away several times, but I was scared out of my mind.”
Often forced to choose between staying at a dangerous foster home or ending up on the streets, Evita became homeless several times… but sadly, dangerous people also found her there.
One day she was kidnapped, held at gunpoint and assaulted. “I was in utter disbelief… just lost… wondering what I did to deserve this.”
To cope with the trauma she’d experienced, Evita turned to drugs. Over the years, addiction only made her life more difficult. She had children of her own, but struggled to be there for them. “I knew I needed to get better. My kids needed me.”
When Evita learned her mother had passed away, the grief sent her spiraling… but thankfully she found the Fresno Mission.
“The Mission helped me start my healing process.”
“All the staff was very welcoming,” she says. “They made me feel comfortable to open up so I could start my healing process.”
Today, in our recovery program, Evita has access to classes and Christian counseling that are helping her process through the pain of her past and find healing for a better future. The faith-based environment here has also helped deepen her faith in God and the good plans He has for her life.
Thank you for sharing God’s love with Evita this Easter. Her life has been renewed through the joy and hope of the Gospel! “The Mission has taught me that God made me for a purpose… I love to give, and I’ve learned a lot of tools here to be able to love and uplift others.”