A Meal Leads to a Changed Life... Off the Streets

Homelessness, addiction and hunger are growing in our community.

But together we can do something about it.

A Meal Here is More Than Food

A good, hot meal is often what brings someone into the Mission, and it doesn’t stop at food.

Being greeted warmly while coming into the dining room, you know you’re cared about. Someone asking about your day, and caring about your answer, while serving you a meal builds a relationship of trust.

When you trust the people around you, it’s easier to ask for the help you need to change your life and get off the streets for good.

Without meals, the chance to change lives, change our community, and share God’s love is gone.

Care and a Meal Helped Change Abby's Life

Abby* never experienced the kind of family love and support that most people do. Growing up, her mom was abusive. But it didn’t stop when Abby was grown up. It continued even when she moved in to help take care of her mom after her dad passed away.

Finally, Abby had enough of the abuse and left. But she had nowhere to go.

Some nights she could find someone who’d let her stay on their couch. If not, Abby would sleep in a tent in the woods.

“It was terrifying,” Abby remembers.

Thankfully, someone told her about Everett Gospel Mission. She walked to the Mission and was immediately welcomed.

“It was the first time I felt safe,” she says. “I knew I wasn’t going to get hit.”

It wasn’t just the meals and shelter that people like you provided that helped Abby move off the streets. It was that someone cared. The support and love Abby felt at the Mission helped her as she worked to overcome her past. They became her family. Abby soon moved into her own apartment and found a job. But that’s not where her story ends.

Abby now works with several groups that help other women like her. Whether it’s through a domestic violence support group, teaching classes at the YWCA, or mentoring parents as they work to change their lives, Abby is giving back to the community.

She’s helping People Change Here- and it’s all because of partners like you!

* Abby’s name and likeness have been changed for privacy.

A Word from One of Our Cherished Donors

“The Mission is great for this community. I can’t even say how invaluable it is.”
– Mary Bickford