A Meal Leads to a
Changed Life Off the Streets

Rod’s Story

You don't expect a millionaire to experience homelessness, but Rod did. And it may have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

Because when he lost everything, he found himself. "I came here with maybe $20 in my pocket because I didn't have anything left," he says.

Rod built a business, and the success came quickly. But the losses came even faster. When a recession hit, the business he'd worked so hard to build crumbled before his eyes. He was powerless to stop it—nothing he tried worked.

When the stress got to be too much, he tried to cope with drugs. But that addicition quickly got out of control and took over his life. Soon, his business, house, everything was gone. Rod had gone from being a millionaire to living in his car and struggling to find food.

He eventually developed a kidney infection and was in Providence Hospital for three weeks. "The hospital was ready to release me, but I didn't have anywhere to go," Rod said. He asked the hospital if they could help him, and they told him that he could recover at the Mission.

"When I came here, I had nothing. No meals, nowhere to go. But the Mission gave me everything—clothes, a roof over my head, and good food to eat. The Mission isn't just a band aid," Rod would tell anyone. "My life has totally changed. I'm healthy, I have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. They've even helped me save money in a bank account for the future."

"The Mission is a life-changing place. It's touched my life, and touched my heart. I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world because I got to come here." Rod is just one example of how People Change Here. Your gift of meals could be the start of a new life, off the street for someone like him!