Reiauna’s Story
Throughout Reiauna's life, her mom emphasized three things: faith in God, reading the Bible and the importance of a good education. Those values took on increased significance in 2012, when she was just 15. That year, Reiauna's mom lost three of her aunts and her father. The tragedy took a big emotional toll on…
Erica’s Story
Erica's life was unstable. “My own childhood was rough and rocky,” says Erica, 27. “My father and stepfather were both abusive. And though she loved me and worked hard, my mom struggled financially. She turned to the Lord. I turned to my friends in the streets.” From the age of 12, Erica often ran…
FrenchAnita’s Story
FrenchAnita could never understand why her father didn't reach out to her. But he wasn't married to her mother, and he had another family to worry about. “I was what they call an at-risk youth,” says the 34-year old single mother. “I started getting into a lot of trouble — running away from home,…
Tina’s Story
“I felt like God had forgotten about me,” Tina says, recalling her life growing up in a series of foster-care homes. “I was mistreated a lot. I had to deal with every kind of abuse — emotional, physical, everything. I felt I was just a paycheck for the families that took me in. I…
Jeffrey’s Story
Jeffrey never drank or did drugs. He's a committed Christian. Just eight years ago, he had a good job and a comfortable life in Arizona, where he managed retail stores. He ended up a homeless guest at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. “I was working my way up the corporate ladder of a major retail…
Keith’s Story
“Looking back, I kind of felt lost as a kid,” says Keith, now 56. “I'm the oldest of 15 kids, and my mother was too busy working or taking care of the younger children to pay much attention to me. And I never knew my father. I felt abandoned at a young age.” Without…
Jacqueline’s Story
As a child, Jacqueline grew up with “the best of everything,” she says. She went to the best schools, traveled to exotic places and was well-loved. “Life was handed to me on a silver platter,” the 26-year old single mom recalls. “Everything was beautiful.” When she graduated from high school, her plan was to…
Carl’s Story
“I didn't know anything about love. Never did,” says Carl, a 50-year-old guest at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. “The three greatest influences in my life were my father, my stepdad and my grandfather. My dad was a cop and didn't know how to show love. My grandfather taught me that all men are just…
Diedre’s Story
Deidre grew up in a broken home, bouncing from her mom's house to herdad's and back again. “I never really felt loved,” she says. “My mom struggled with drugs, and pretty much forced me to take care of the household, including my younger siblings. I feel like I missed out on my childhood.” Deidre…
Billy’s Story
Billy had the whole world at his fingertips. Or so he thought... He grew up here in Milwaukee, in a Christian home, with loving parents. He was a good student. He became a basketball star, and even got a college scholarship. So how did he end up as a drug addict and dealer, a…
