“I’m setting goals for my future, and I believe they are within reach.”
For years, Carolyn built a stable life in New York as a nursing assistant but she knew it wasn’t the safest place to raise her son. She made the difficult decision to move her family to Jacksonville, hoping it would give her son every opportunity to thrive. her breaking point. Without consistent meals and a safe place to lay her head, Carolyn realized that she could not keep living that way. She wanted more than survival; she wanted a future for her and her son. Thankfully, Carolyn discovered City Rescue Mission. She came here looking for immediate help but found something greater. Carolyn received three nourishing meals a day and a safe bed. She met caring people who welcomed her with But she never imagined that she would struggle to stand on her own two feet.
Carolyn grew up in New York along side her six siblings and remembers a happy childhood. As an adult, she found her work in healthcare meaningful, finding joy and purpose in caring for others. She believed that she would stay in New York, but when her son was born, her priorities shifted. “I wanted to get him away from the violence,” she says. “So, I came to Jacksonville for the safer community.” She arrived with a job and an apartment secured. It felt like the beginning of a brighter future. She compassion and encouragement. As her physical needs were met, she was able to grow spiritually through chapel services, Bible study and meaningful fellowship with others. “I’ve always had God in my life, but I didn’t know Him as well as I do now.” With each passing day, hope began replacing fear. Instead of wondering how she would make it through another night, Carolyn began believing that God still had a purpose for her life. Today, Carolyn has an employment opportunity lined up and is working toward financial independence and greater self-sufficiency. She feels hopeful in a way she could not before. “I’m setting goals for my future, and I believe they are within reach.” Because of the support of compassionate friends, neighbors like Carolyn find more than food and shelter at City worked hard, determined to provide a stable life for her son and make the most of her new beginning.
But when Carolyn unexpectedly lost her job, she also lost her home. She and her son had nowhere to turn for help. “I became homeless. I had to sleep in my car… it was very scary,” Carolyn says. What she expected to be a temporary setback stretched into two and a half years. Night after night, Carolyn relied on the only shelter she had, her car. Every day brought uncertainty. “Even though I was living in my car, I felt safe because it was familiar,” she says.
But familiarity is not the same as stability. Eventually, she hit her breaking point. Without consistent meals and a safe place to lay her head, Carolyn realized that she could not keep living that way. She wanted more than survival; she wanted a future for her and her son.
Thankfully, Carolyn discovered City Rescue Mission. She came here looking for immediate help but found something greater. Carolyn received three nourishing meals a day and a safe bed.
She met caring people who welcomed her with compassion and encouragement. As her physical needs were met, she was able to grow spiritually through chapel services, Bible study and meaningful fellowship with others. “I’ve always had God in my life, but I didn’t know Him as well as I do now.” With each passing day, hope began replacing fear. Instead of wondering how she would make it through another night, Carolyn began believing that God still had a purpose for her life.
Today, Carolyn has an employment opportunity lined up and is working toward financial independence and greater self-sufficiency. She feels hopeful in a way she could not before. “I’m setting goals for my future, and I believe they are within reach.”
Because of the support of compassionate friends, neighbors like Carolyn find more than food and shelter at City Rescue Mission. They discover renewed hope, caring community and the opportunity to move forward in a better direction, one step at a time.