Saving Joey

Joey, a 15 year old recently released from a juvenile detention facility in Georgia, wondered what he was going to do next.

His parents had moved while he was in detention, and he didn't know if he would ever see them again.

His grandmother lived close by but resided in a 55+ community. Joey was't allowed to live with her and she didn't have the money to move anywhere else. With nowhere to go, he was on his way to becoming another homeless statistic; but that all changed thanks to homelessness prevention funds from Americans Helping Americans®. Read more...

A Safe Place

Gina* never envisioned a life on the run for herself and her three children. When she first met her batterer she was 17 years old and thought she had finally found true love and an escape from the abuse from her own father. She met Charlie* when she was in high school and was full of dreams and hopes for her future with him. Charlie and Gina married two weeks after her 18th birthday and she was whisked away into a life of financial bondage and brutal beatings. Read more...

Breakfast with Santa

For many men, women and children living in poverty in this great nation, the holidays can be a reminder of the hard times that are a constant force in the lives of people in need. Low-income rural families in northern Mingo County, West Virginia needed an opportunity this December to enjoy a family event that does not put strain on a budget, or worry on minds. The closest place these families could travel to buy expensive pictures with Santa Claus is Williamson, West Virginia, a town that could be anywhere from 25 to 30 miles away, unimaginable for people on tight budgets. Read more...

Changing Lives Through Summer Youth Programs

It is hard to believe that Sherrie, my niece who lives with me will be graduating from Homeschool. I look back at the obstacles she has overcome—parents’ divorce, living with her grandmother and me, and dyslexia. I know that prayers and God’s amazing grace have helped her become the young woman she is today. Part of those prayers was answered by God leading her to be part of the Mission’s Summer Youth Leadership Camp over the past two summers. Read more...