Before walking through our doors, Beth* was separated from her kids because of homelessness. While she lived in a car with no heat, Beth made sure that her kids stayed with relatives and her oldest daughter stayed at the same school.

At the Mission, “I was immediately at peace, because everyone was together,” Beth says. “My daughters’ behaviors calmed down, because they had safety and security.”

Within days of their arrival, the girls entered the Mission’s Child Development Center while Beth attended our women’s programming, which includes job training, Bible study, and mental health therapy. Before long, Beth started seeing changes in her daughters. They prayed on their own because they saw it modeled at school. They grew in early learning skills, such as writing letters and recognizing numbers. 

“The Child Development Center is a blessing.”

– Beth

“The Child Development Center poured so much into my children in just a few months,” Beth says. “The teachers cared about my children and supported them in ways I couldn’t at the time. It was relieving to know they were in such good hands!”

Beth and the girls also met with the Mission’s child therapist to work through their challenging experiences. “Though one of my daughters is still on a healing journey, our therapist helped us a lot and provided a foundation for hope,” Beth says. 

Beth and her family now live on their own, but her girls still talk about their preschool teachers by name. “The CDC teachers made a lasting impact,” Beth says.  

Today, her younger girls just completed first grade and kindergarten. Her older daughter will be joining a gifted program next year. “The Child Development Center at the Mission is a blessing.” Beth says. 

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.