Today, Josh walks into Fresno Mission’s City Center as an employee. He works in Food Services serving people who come through our doors and is now part of the same Mission that helped him rebuild his life. A year ago, his life looked very different.
In September 2025, Josh came to Fresno Mission experiencing homelessness after nearly 30 years of struggling with addiction. He had tried to get sober before. He wanted a different life, but didn’t know how to get there.
At Searcy Center, Josh began doing the hard work of recovery, but something deeper was happening too. He began spending time in God’s Word and found people who would walk alongside him. He started to believe that God still had a purpose for his life.
As Josh grew, something shifted. The man who came to Fresno Mission needing encouragement started encouraging others. One Friday, Josh stood in front of his peers at Searcy Center and led the devotional.
He opened to Joshua 1:8 and talked about meditating on God’s Word day and night. He spoke honestly about how hard recovery can be and the courage it takes to keep showing up. He also reminded everyone that they weren’t meant to do it alone.
“We have to lift each other up and carry each other’s burdens.”
Josh also shared Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. One word stood out to him: all. Not part of your heart. All of it. After nearly 30 years of trying to find lasting sobriety, Josh says things changed when he surrendered his life to God.
Today, God is using Josh in ways he couldn’t have imagined when he first came through our doors. He went from receiving meals to helping serve them. He went from needing encouragement to giving it. The story he once struggled through is now being used to encourage someone else.
That’s what restoration can look like.
IMAGINE WHAT THE NEXT YEAR COULD HOLD
There is someone in Fresno today who can’t see a year from now. They can only see what’s in front of them: addiction, instability and broken relationships. Maybe they’ve tried before and don’t believe change is possible anymore.
Your gift can help make sure Fresno Mission is here when they’re ready to take that next step. Your generosity helps provide a safe place to stay, meals and Christ-centered recovery programs. It also surrounds people with a community that will keep showing up, even when the work gets hard.
A gift doesn’t only meet a need today. It can become part of someone’s tomorrow.
A year from now, their life could look completely different. Josh’s did.
Today, he is working and serving others. He is encouraging people who are walking through some of the same struggles he once faced. Most importantly, he knows God wasn’t finished with his story.
There is someone in our community who needs that same opportunity. Will you help us be here for them?
