Stories of Changed Lives

Tired and hungry.  That's how Sheri, an expecting mom, and her 4 year old son arrived at Raleigh Rescue Mission's Emergency Shelter last fall.  Since then, Sheri has found new hope and a new life.  Read more about the many blessings Sheri will celebrate this Thanksgiving.

Ask our clients what they took away from their recovery and rehabilitation program and you might well expect them to talk about a relationship with Jesus. Or maybe a life free from addiction. You probably wouldn’t expect them to answer, “a SPOUSE.”

Tanesha has a 4-year-old son and a baby girl. Before her daughter was born, she did the best she could to take care of her toddler. But her life was tough. Her job didn’t provide enough income to pay for day care, a place to live and food. It was incredibly stressful, always living on the edge.

Kim was only 18 when she gave birth to her precious daughter. Until that time, this confused teen endured abandonment from her biological family.

Children grow up in alcoholic homes. It’s a hard reality and a story we hear over and over from men and women who enter Raleigh Rescue Mission’s recovery program. And the sad consequences are often a repetition of their parents’ mistakes.

When Teka first came to Raleigh Rescue Mission’s Community Medical Respite Program, her heart was filled with shame and loneliness. Drugs had stolen her health and she suffered almost daily seizures. Her three children lived with Teka’s mother and though Teka longed to see them, she was not allowed to venture past the gate of her mother’s home.

Six weeks ago, Glenn Morgan had a little heart-to-heart talk with himself. He had to admit that much of his 48 years had been spent running from bad decisions he’d made.

Teka waited nervously by her mother’s mailbox at the edge of the yard—the closest she was allowed to come toward the house. Perhaps she’d get a glimpse of her children today! On the other hand, seeing her children would only remind her of how much she’d lost to her drug addiction.

Cory Newman had lived on the streets of Raleigh for several months when an eye infection became too painful to ignore. She headed for Wake Medical Center where they treated her eye, then referred her to Raleigh Rescue Mission’s Community Medical Respite Program where we could monitor her progress. “I used [drugs] the night before I came into the Mission,” she admits.

As Trina Iverson surveyed the scene in front of her, she realized it was a far cry from the happy home she'd envisioned for herself and her 5-yearold daughter, Eliza. Her aunt lay passed out on the couch after a night of drinking. And Trina herself felt sick after smoking marijuana and drinking all night.