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.

60 And Homeless For The First Time

John* thought he had it all: a good job, a nice apartment and a fiancée who loved him. Everything was on track until his fiancée got terminally sick. John quit his job to become her caregiver and made ends meet with his savings account.

But after she passed away, he struggled to find a new job. Then, as is happening more frequently in Snohomish County, his landlord raised the rent, and John couldn’t keep up.

Just before his 60th birthday, he was evicted. He didn’t know where to go or what to do.

“That night I just kept walking the streets,” John says. “When the Everett city buses started running, I rode the bus all the way to Aurora Station over and over again.”

He could’ve had to ride the bus and walk the streets for days.

John called 2-1-1, a toll-free service that quickly connects people with resources in their community, and they told him about Everett Gospel Mission. He came in for dinner, and on the very first night he was volunteering in the kitchen!

“They needed someone to help serve food and asked if anyone would help out. No one was stepping up, so I raised my hand,” John Says.

Since that first night at the Mission, John has enrolled in our Passport program designed to help people just like him find jobs, housing and financial independence. He’s working to find a full-time job that will help him save money and get his own place again. John’s case manager and other staff are helping John learn about housing options and resources that he never knew existed.

But what amazes John the most, is how he’s treated here.

“Everyone treats you like a person here. You’re not a number,” John says. “When I say ‘hi’ to people in the halls, they actually know me and care about my story.”

Will you pray for John as he continues his journey to overcoming homelessness?

* John’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