Patrick grew up in Allentown and remembers his childhood and young adulthood as “a mixture of both happy and challenging” circumstances. But things began to unravel when, as an adult, he faced hardships that pushed him and his mom toward homelessness.
Struggling to make ends meet in his temp job, Patrick couldn’t cover all the bills, and his mother’s utilities were cut off. He made a desperate decision to get power from a neighbor’s home using an extension cord. “It was foolish of me. I went over there and hooked up the cord, and the day I did that I got arrested.”
After that setback, Patrick struggled even harder to find steady work. “That was my biggest challenge, just trying to find a job. I spent months looking.”Without stability and a steady paycheck, he ended up with nowhere to live – until he turned to the Allentown Rescue Mission.
“The Allentown Rescue Mission helped me when I couldn’t help myself.”
Walking into our doors for the first time, Patrick admits he was nervous. “But, after a couple of days, I fit right in,” he recalls. “The people here really care.” He began building meaningful relationships and relying on the support of his new community. “They’ve been a really big help, the guys around here. We try to take care of each other.”
In our Caring Transformation Program, Patrick learned to balance self-reliance and counting on others to walk alongside him. He’s hopeful about his future now, with plans to join the Clean Team while pursuing outside work. “They help me do things that I couldn’t possibly do on my own.”
His time here has given Patrick perspective and hope. “Before I came here, I was lost. But now I’ve found myself.” Today, he’s grateful for a new chance to stay on the right track, find work and stay clean.
Patrick’s fresh start is possible because of you! Thank you for your prayers and support that are filling him with hope for the new year. “I’m on the right track now, and I’m so much better off than I was out on the street.”