You helped Charles get through three ‘doorways’ to find a brand-new start

What do you do when you have doors of opportunity open up in front of you?

If you’re Charles, you walk right through them to see where they lead! Thanks to you, he has a new way of living because of three doors that YOUR gifts opened at our homeless shelter in St. Paul, just in time for Easter.

Door One: When Charles arrived at the Mission, someone opened the door to our transitional housing building and said, “How may I help you?”

This kind greeting felt like a rush of fresh air to Charles, who was going through a damaging situation at the time.

“I was angry, bitter, and frustrated at what was happening to me,” Charles says. “I wanted revenge and to go back to my old life, but I knew that wouldn’t help me move forward.”

Inside this first door, Charles received meals and safe accommodations in our emergency shelter at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. He felt encouraged for the first time in months.

But Charles wanted something more.  That’s when he came through the second door that your gifts provided.

Door Two: The Mission’s Discipleship program took Charles further in his journey to hope. Here, he gained the tools to return to work, earned his general education diploma, and studied God’s word.

“I wanted to give up so many times,” Charles admits. “But the staff encouraged me. They told me I had it in me to walk out of here a changed man. “

Just two weeks after finishing his GED thanks to your gifts, Charles got his first job in five years. Right away, he started saving for the future, putting into practice solid financial principles learned in the program.

The program taught him more about the value of home ownership. That’s why he went through the final and most important door of all!

Door Three: Recently, Charles became a homeowner for the first time, moving into an updated story-and-a-half home just a mile from the Mission.

From homeless to homeowner. That’s the amazing transformation your gifts provide! “This place says it changes lives,” Charles says. “It sure changed mine!”